Woman Sees Jar 'Walking Around' — And Instantly Knows Someone Needs Help

“It’s very fortunate that he was found when he was.”

Megan O’Connor was walking her dog in a ravine near Toronto, Canada, last week when she noticed something move out of the corner of her eye.

She decided to walk closer to investigate — and it’s a good thing that she did. A furry animal was huddled in the grass with a plastic jar stuck over his head.

raccoon head stuck jar toronto
Megan O'Connor

“At that point, I wasn’t even sure what kind of animal he was,” O’Connor told The Dodo. “He was definitely breathing, but the jar was around his head very tight.”

She called rescuers from Toronto Wildlife Centre right away, who rushed to the scene to help the animal. As one rescuer held him tight, another cut the jar open, finally revealing the fluffy animal’s identity: a raccoon.

“As soon as they saw his face, they realized he had a sore on his nose and was covered in grease,” O’Connor said. “The jar was most likely a mayonnaise jar, and he had gotten it all over himself.”

raccoon head stuck jar toronto
Megan O'Connor

In addition to the wound on his nose, the raccoon also had an injured paw. The rescue center took him in for five days to clean up his fur and ensure both injuries were healing.

“He was in pretty reasonable body shape, so it seems that he hadn’t been stuck for a very long time,” Nathalie Karvonen, executive director of Toronto Wildlife Centre, told The Dodo. “It’s very fortunate that he was found when he was. Any longer and he could have suffocated or starved to death.”

Luckily, after the stressful ordeal, the raccoon made a full recovery and was returned to his wooded home on Monday.

raccoon rescue jar stuck head toronto
Megan O'Connor

O’Connor was overjoyed to hear the little guy was OK — but said she can’t help but think the entire situation could have been avoided if someone had disposed of their trash properly.

Thousands of helpless backyard animals like this raccoon become trapped or entangled in trash each year, with many cases resulting in permanent injuries or even death. Wildlife rescuers encourage people to fully wash out food containers and dispose of them in secure, covered bins to limit chances of curious animals sticking their heads inside in search of food.

raccoon rescue jar stuck head
Megan O'Connor

“Living in a city …I’m very aware of the consequences animals face from people littering,” O’Connor said. “This shouldn’t have even happened in the first place. It makes a better city if we can all coexist, which means being more responsible about handling our garbage.”

To help more rescued wildlife, you can make a donation to Toronto Wildlife Centre.