A few months ago, volunteers at the Missouri Wildlife Rescue Center (MWRC) received a frantic call from a local family about an animal needing help.

The concerned homeowners reported finding a small, fluffy creature trapped in their driveway. The little guy was technically free to roam, but he couldn’t see anything.

“A young raccoon, drawn to the scent of leftover pasta, accidentally trapped himself in an aluminum can,” MWRC wrote on Facebook.

MISSOURI WILDLIFE RESCUE CENTER

The family watched as the raccoon attempted to slide the can off himself with no such luck. When they realized that he couldn’t get out on his own, they stepped in to help.

“Exhausted after struggling to free himself, the tired trash panda was safely contained by the family and transported to the Wildlife Rescue Center for professional assistance,” MWRC wrote.

MWRC’s staff rushed the raccoon into an exam room as soon as he arrived, where their worst fears were confirmed.

“[T]his juvenile raccoon had a high heart rate and was having difficulty breathing,” MWRC wrote. “The animal care team acted swiftly but cautiously to free him from distress without causing additional harm.”

After some careful prying and gentle words of encouragement, the team successfully freed the raccoon from the can.

They weren’t sure how the raccoon would feel once the can was removed, but his actions immediately after showed that he was OK.

“The frightened raccoon made a daring escape attempt once the can was removed — a good sign that the ordeal didn’t phase him too much,” MWRC wrote. “Soon after, he was returned to the wilderness with a firm warning to steer clear of processed food in the future.”

MISSOURI WILDLIFE RESCUE CENTER

The raccoon eventually went back to living his best life as if nothing ever happened, thanks to the family’s quick response and MWRC’s expert care.

There’s no telling what the curious raccoon is up to these days, but hopefully he’s figured out how to resist the enticing smell of Italian-style crushed tomatoes.