2021-05-05

Dramatic extrication results in new life

Local Journalism Initiative Reporter

It started as a call to rescue a single mammal but turned out to be much more.

Members of the Liverpool Fire Department were called to liberate a raccoon that was stuck inside of a chimney of a home in Western Head April 23.

According to fire department Captain John Long, a man stopped at the station and said that he had a creature in his chimney and he was looking for a solution.

Volunteer firefighters were soon called into action. On their way to the scene they requested help from the Department of Lands and Forestry, whose personnel later provided assistance to the firefighters.

Once on the scene, the firefighters tried "to find different ways to inspire this raccoon to get out of the chimney," explained Long.

They blew a loud horn from inside the house. That roused the raccoon, which began to climb out of the chimney, but when she spotted people on the roof she retreated.

At another point during the rescue, the firefighters discovered there were two baby raccoons with the mother.

Firefighters rigged a snare to extricate the mother. As she was being lifted out of the chimney, to everyone's surprise she gave birth to a third baby, which landed on the roof.

The firefighters had to use more of their creativity to get the babies out of the chimney. They cut open a window washer fluid container, into which they coaxed the infant raccoons and lifted them out.

In the end, all four raccoons were alive and well and handed over to members of the Department of Lands and Forestry. They, in turn, transported the animals to a Hope for Wildlife animal rehabilitation facility located in the Halifax Regional Municipality.