SAN FRANCISCO — Firefighters in San Francisco have a new furry friend for life after they saved a baby raccoon that was trapped in a tree.
According to KTVU, the rescue occurred Saturday night near 15th Avenue and Santiago Street. San Francisco Animal Care and Control responded to a report of “loud cries and screams” to find the raccoon stuck in a tree, the San Francisco Fire Department said in a Facebook post.
“The crew took a quick lesson from [Animal Care and Control] on how to calm and comfort the raccoon,” the post read. “They then went to work freeing the baby raccoon from a V split in a large tree, where somehow the raccoon had become wedged in. After a few minutes of rescue work, the raccoon was free only to clutch and hold onto the firefighters who had just saved its life.”
After animal control officers were unable to rescue the critter, responders called the Fire Department for help, according to the post.
Firefighters decided to name the raccoon Freedom, according to the Facebook post.
“Freedom is now in the care of [Animal Care and Control] and will be released to continue its life, with a few new friends who will always be there if needed,” the post added.