A Coyote got stuck inside a hollow statue... of St. Francis, the patron saint of animals.
Coyote rescued from inside statue freed back into the wild
The Wildlife In Need Center in Oconomowoc, Wisconsin, managed to rescue the canine after it was seen dragging the statue across the snow.
The rescue team, with the help of the Humane Animal Welfare Society, sedated the animal and were managed to ease her head out.
The Coyote, nicknamed Frannie, had to be treated for some soft tissue injuries before being freed back into the wild after two weeks in their care.
On their Instagram page, the non-profit wrote alongside some pictures of the rescue and the team who saved her: "We recently treated an adult Coyote who found herself stuck in a tough situation. She was apparently chasing a rabbit that ran underneath and into a (hollow) statue. The Coyote dove into the statue in pursuit of her dinner, and unfortunately got her head stuck so tight that she was unable to get free.
"She was seen briefly in the morning struggling, dragging the large statue. Then, over 24 hours later she was found barely moving, laying in the snow, exhausted from putting up such a long fight trying to free herself. With the help of the Humane Animal Welfare Society (HAWS), she was contained and transported to WINC for emergency care.
"Once sedated, we were able to free her from the statue which ironically turned out to be one of St. Francis, the patron saint of animals!! She was warmed up and with the help of injectable fluids and anti-inflammatory medications, she was stabilized. X-rays confirmed that there were no fractures, just soft tissue trauma.
"After about two weeks in our care, Francis aka Frannie was fully healed and ready to return home! (We don't typically name our patients, but felt this one was hard earned). She was also in heat, meaning she was receptive to mating, so we were happy to get her back home just in time for her breeding season.
"Special thanks to the team at HAWS for helping us with the capture and transport of this beautiful girl. Good luck, Frannie! (sic)"