Mechanics Peek Under Car Hood And See An Angry Face Staring Back At Them

The other day, Angie Stark was driving home from work in Fort Wayne, Indiana, when she decided to pull into a local car wash to have her vehicle cleaned. Stark expected it would only take few minutes before she’d be able to continue on her way.

But she was wrong.

As the cleaning crew from Mike’s Carwash moved in to begin washing Stark’s car, they noticed some tufts of fur protruding out of her front grille. Everyone was taken aback.

“Imagine my surprise when I see the look on his face and he says, ‘This thing is alive,’” Stark told The Dodo. “The next sentence had me hopping out to take a look: ‘It’s furry and it’s moving!’ His fur was sticking through the grille, so we couldn’t really see much.”

Thus began what would be much more than just a car wash.

At first, Stark and the cleaners believed the fur belonged to a rabbit who had somehow hopped up inside the engine compartment.

After the hood was popped open for a better look, the animal scurried deeper within the space — making it harder to tell for certain just who he was, exactly.

Before long, employees from a nearby Jiffy Lube mechanic’s shop came to lend a hand in Stark’s unusual predicament. And that’s when they came face to face with the furry stowaway.

“We realized he was a large, unhappy groundhog!” Stark said.

It’s unclear how or why the groundhog ended up in Stark’s engine compartment, but one thing was certain: They’d have to get him out.

Animal control was called and, over the next two hours, the mechanics disassembled Stark's car enough to finally be able to reach the groundhog — putting their fingers at risk of bites in the process.

“I was so impressed by all the young men that were so kind and helpful!” Stark said. “Every single one of them showed concern for this little guy.”

Even after being removed from the car, the groundhog remained disgruntled.

“We were all relieved to see him angry and healthy in the cage, to be released in a nearby wood,” Stark said.

That quick stop at the carwash had turned into a much longer ordeal — but it was worth it for Stark to ensure the grumpy groundhog had a happy ending.

“I’m not sure why he decided to take a ride with me. Perhaps he was just ready for some adventure!” Stark said. “Pretty sure he got more than he bargained for!”