A raccoon that was trapped in a drain pipe under a parking lot was rescued after almost 20 hours only to collapse and die the following morning.
The rescue effort began after a homeless man alerted police to cries he heard coming from the drain in a shopping center parking lot off Freedom Boulevard in Santa Cruz, California.
Despite initial attempts, the city’s Public Works Department confirmed that it could not be pulled out and that they would have to cut through the concrete to reach the animal.
Scroll down for video
A raccoon was believed to be trapped in a drain pipe in Santa Cruz, California, for over 24 hours before finally being rescued by four teams of city officials
When it was finally dislodged it was comatose, dehydrated and hypothermic, with a body temperature so low it did not register on a thermometer
A team of officials from the fire department, animal shelter, public works department and wildlife emergency services worked for nearly 20 hours to rescue the animal
A team of officials from the fire department, animal shelter, public works department and wildlife emergency services worked from 3am to 10:30pm to rescue the raccoon from the drain, NBC Los Angeles reported.
They finally freed it after using shovels, jackhammers, and a saw to break up the pavement.
Many of the officials who were asked to help voluntarily returned after they’d finished for the day, around 5pm, to help the rescue efforts.
The North-South divide of Britain’s dying high streets
4.3k viewing now
A Santa Cruz veterinarian worked to treat it, and the animal regained some strength around 9 am the morning after its rescue. The vet posted on Facebook that the raccoon was able to walk, but then collapsed and died
The rescue began after a homeless man alerted police to cries he heard coming from a drain in a shopping center parking lot off Freedom Boulevard
The raccoon was believed to be trapped for over 24 hours, and when it was finally dislodged it was comatose, dehydrated and hypothermic, with a body temperature so low it did not register on a thermometer.
It was then placed in heating pads and given warm fluids.
A Santa Cruz veterinarian helped the raccoon regain some strength around 9am the morning after its rescue.
After several unsuccessful attempts, the city’s Public Works Department confirmed that the animal could not be pulled out of the drain, and that they would have to cut through the concrete in the shopping center’s parking lot to reach the creature
The vet posted on Facebook that the raccoon was able to walk, but then collapsed and died, likely due to exertional myopathy and stress to its muscles.
The vet also commended the efforts of the rescue teams, writing: ‘What’s more incredible than us getting this animal out alive, was the tremendous heart that went into its rescue – people giving their time and energy to help this poor creature.
‘This heart gives me hope for the new year’.
The owner of the shopping center gave the go-ahead, and using shovels, jackhammers, and a saw, rescuers were able to reach the animal quickly. Many of the officials who were asked to help voluntarily returned after they were done with work for the day to help the rescue efforts