The smart squirrel held on until it was rescued by garage staff
A cute squirrel had to be cut free from a VW Polo after it had grabbed on and tucked itself away behind the grille of the vehicle whilst it was driving along a road in Wales.
The incident happened last Sunday as the owner of the VW Polo, Mark Leyshon, aged 28, was taking his son to visit Father Christmas in Llanberris, Gwynedd, in North Wales.
Mr Leyshon said that he swerved to avoid hitting the squirrel but after hearing a bang, thought he must have hit and killed it, not realising that the super smart squirrel had managed to jump at the last moment and grab on, wedging itself between the grille and radiator.
Cute squirrel saved from VW Polo after clinging on for life © Copyright Albert Bridge and licensed for reuse under this Creative Commons Licence
RSPCA Cymru and a local garage, Moduron Maethlu Motors, came to the rescue of the cheeky squirrel and luckily it managed to escape without any injuries – unlike Mr Leyshon’s VW Polo.
The Polo had to have a hole cut into the grille by one of the mechanics at the garage to help them free the squirrel, who was huddled up inside the engine bay of the vehicle. The whole rescue operation took around six hours.
The extremely kind garage then repaired Mr Leyshon’s VW Polo for free, so he and his son could drive home after the successful animal rescue.
The Polo suffered no other damage as a result, as these cheeky but cute nut collecting animals are known for liking the taste of car wires and plastic parts.
Mike Pugh, an inspector with the RSPCA, said that this extraordinary squirrel had been through an astonishing ordeal, managing to grab on to a moving vehicle and stay there until it was rescued.
Moduron Maethlu Motors were praised highly by RSPCA Cymru for their quick response to the incident and for their help in rescuing an animal in need.
Everyone involved was thankful that the squirrel was able to escape out of the hole that the mechanic had cut for it and run off to freedom. Mr Leyshon said that after it escaped from the hole, the squirrel ran straight up a tree and didn’t seem to have suffered any injuries.
“It was quite an incredible rescue,” said Mr Leyshon.
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