Crime & Safety
Overweight Raccoon Rescued From Sewer Grate
After finding the pudgy creature wedged in the storm sewer, Zion police called in the "real heroes" from the public works department.
ZION, IL — A raccoon who became trapped in the grate of a storm sewer last weekend was freed with the help of Zion police and public works personnel. Police were called to the area of the 2000 block of Gideon Avenue around 10:15 a.m. Thursday for a report of one of the suburb's "furry residents" needing assistance while trying to climb out of the sewer.
Police found the raccoon, which appear to have "been eating a little too well," wedged tightly into the grates. The first officer on the scene, Officer Ken Vaughn, notified the department's animal control officer, who arrived with leashes on poles to try to free the overweight scavenger.
Eventually, the cops "had to request help from the real heroes over at the Zion Public Works Department," police posted on Facebook.
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Public works staffers eventually raised up the grate, leashed the raccoon and released it away from the residential area.
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Zion Police Deputy Chief Kirk Henderson told the Lake County News-Sun the "definitely healthy" raccoon was able to be liberated with no injuries and is "obviously well-prepared for winter."
Photos via Zion PD
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