Grate trouble

This morning, WES was called on to help a skunk reportedly stuck in a drain grate at New Brighton State Beach near Capitola. It had evidently tried to go down into the drain and got caught at the hips. 

When we arrived, we found the upturned skunk in excellent condition, considering. He was very alert and a biter. 

There was no way to manipulate the skunk's body through the opening, so we used two types of grinders to cut through the thick metal. The animal's fur was soaked with water so it wouldn't catch fire and the metal was cooled with water during the process.

Check out the rescue video: