June 21 (UPI) -- Firefighters in Germany came to the rescue of a hapless squirrel that got its head stuck in a small hole in a manhole cover.
The Dortmund Fire Department said a crew responded about 10:30 a.m. Thursday to a report of a squirrel's head sticking up through the hole in a manhole cover on a city street.
Police directed traffic away from the sewer opening as firefighters lifted the manhole cover to extract the squirrel.
The department said the squirrel, with manhole cover still attached, was taken to a veterinary clinic, where staff sedated the animal and removed it with only minor injuries to its neck.
Firefighters said the squirrel will be kept at the veterinary office for a short time while it recovers from its injuries.
The manhole cover was returned to its proper place.