Squirrel trapped in manhole cover rescued by team of firefighters, vets and police

Entire cover is removed to free animal while police guard open sewer

A squirrel is caught in a manhole cover in Dortmund, Germany (AP)

A red squirrel that got its head stuck in a manhole cover sparked a rescue operation in the western German city of Dortmund.

Firefighters, police and a veterinary clinic combined forces to free the animal.

Dortmund's fire department said they responded to a call about the rodent in peril on a street next to a park in the city.

When rescuers arrived, they spotted the tufted-eared squirrel's head poking out of a hole in the cover.

Initial attempts to free the animal were unsuccessful, so the entire manhole cover was removed and taken to a nearby veterinary clinic while police were called in to guard the open sewer.

Vets used anaesthetic to calm the squirrel and then freed the animal.

It was treated for superficial neck wounds and is expected to be released back into the wild soon.

AP