Vermont: South Burlington police officers rescues opossum stuck inside car engine where she'd crawled to stay warm

VERMONT -- Did you hear the one about the rescue of a opossum stuck in a car engine?

Well that is exactly what happened in South Burlington on Wednesday afternoon.

This is how it all unfolded according to a posting on the South Burlington Police Department Facebook page.

JoAnn Nichols, South Burlington animal control officer, gave this first-person account:

"This afternoon the police department received a call that an opossum was stuck under the hood of a car. I arrived and here is what I found. After untangling her from the hoses to safely remove her I discovered she was very thin. This is likely due to winter and not finding enough food.

"She will be going to receive R&R along with good meals with a licensed wildlife rehabilitator and be released after she is healthy!"

A story with a happy ending.

And of course it generated all sorts of Facebook comments:

Brad Smith: "My mechanic said I should always keep my opossum well fed a lubed regularly."

Celestine Ann LaRose: "Your a good person but they smell terrible."

Sandee Kern: "Winter has been hard on all living creatures."

Diane Roberts: "Poor Baby! I used to feed them in winter in ferrisburg. Loved watching them at night. Good luck."

Vicki Fontana: "Poor baby!!!! Thank you for saving her."

Cyndi McGovern: "Did the opossum call???"

Karen LaMay Anderson: "Some jobs are filled with surprises."

Harry Wetherbee: "I'm sorry to say it but I would just kill the rat."

Brenna Angel: "Thank you JoAnn Nichols!!!"

(BurlingtonFreePress.com - March 4, 2015)