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Firefighters rescue squirrel with head stuck in a tree in Austin, Texas. Watch

The video of firefighters of Austin Fire Department rescuing the squirrel prompted people to share appreciative comments.

Published on: Apr 4, 2021, 12:28:45 IST
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In today’s edition of animal rescue, here’s a tale of how firefighters rescued a squirrel which got its head stuck in a tree. Shared by Austin Fire Department on Facebook, a video shows how the officers helped the animal.

The image shows the firefighters rescuing the squirrel. (Facebook/@AustinFireDepartment)
The image shows the firefighters rescuing the squirrel. (Facebook/@AustinFireDepartment)

In the caption they explained that the animal somehow managed to get its head lodged in the knothole of a tree and was unable to free itself.

“Whether squirrels have a “reverse” gear remains a mystery, but said squirrel had found himself with his front half stuck inside the interior of the tree while his back half remained unprotected,” they added.

In the few following lines they explained how a concerned passerby contacted the department after seeing the animal in distress. They also explained how they freed the animal.

“Now, we’ve gotten lots of animals out of trees before, but this may be the first time we’ve literally gotten an animal OUT of a tree. And as you can see from the video, shot by Firefighter Austin Konopik, it was no easy feat. But Firefighter Steven Slaughter (that’s him, delicately handling the squirrel’s back half) would not be deterred; after a good two minutes of work, Steven and Firefighter Shane Burton managed to free the squirrel and send him on his way…we assume none the worse for wear since he didn’t stick around to offer so much as a ‘thank you’,” they wrote.

Take a look at the video:

Since being posted, the share has received tons of appreciative comments.

“Great work,” wrote a Facebook user. “Way to go my heroes,” shared another. “Love this! Thanks for helping,” said a third.

What are your thoughts on the rescue video?

  • Trisha Sengupta
    ABOUT THE AUTHOR
    Trisha Sengupta

    Trisha Sengupta is a Chief Content Producer at Hindustan Times with over six years of digital newsroom experience. Specialising in high-engagement storytelling, she blends viral trends with traditional journalism to cover the intersection of technology, finance, and human emotion. Her reporting spans real estate and personal finance struggles in hubs like Bengaluru and Gurgaon, the NRI experience, and corporate shifts like tech layoffs. Trisha also frequently tracks global figures and writes human interest stories. Offline, Trisha is an avid reader, history enthusiast and solo traveler. She balances her journalism career with family life while actively integrating AI tools into her modern storytelling approach.Read More