Original Article: https://blog.theanimalrescuesite.greatergood.com/anteater-power-line/

Finding animals in the most random places is an interesting experience, especially when you rarely see them around. Such encounters often happen where wild animals can freely roam around since they live nearby. You’d see them sitting on benches, visiting a store, walking on the roadside, etc. Humans will never miss a chance to capture that moment on video and share it online. But despite the excitement of encountering different species, civilized areas could put them in danger.

Those wild animals could become victims of road accidents, get trapped in tight spots, or get caught by terrifying humans. For this reason, whenever there are wild animal sightings, you must report them to the authorities. Their team can safely lead them back home or rescue them from an accident. It’s best to leave them alone as professionals are more trained to handle such situations. The creature could get startled or feel threatened when you respond without proper rescue knowledge. Otherwise, it could endanger the animal even more or, most likely, harm you as well.

An informant from a local hotel in Costa Rica had this experience with an anteater they found on an electric power line. It was indeed an anxiety-inducing situation because every time the anteater moved, she got closer to getting electrocuted. Brenda Bombard, the founder of Refuge for Wildlife, shared the whole report of the nail-biting rescue operation in an interview with The Dodo. Apparently, citizens were worried about the anteater from 7:30 in the morning, especially when they thought it was being electrocuted. It was a terrifying scene because the anteater was hanging still as if something terrible had already happened.

“When I hear that something is currently being electrocuted, the adrenaline kicks in and I grab the team and get going.” Brenda shared. “We arrived. She was lying over a protected cover. But the possibility of touching a hot spot is always there. She was not moving. She appeared to be dead,” she added. Due to the alarming situation, the team rushed to reach the anteater with fiberglass hot sticks. The seemingly dead creature must have sensed the commotion around her that it started to move. Looks like the cable was the perfect napping place for the anteater, but the rescue operation must continue. She is still amidst threat, mainly when she can get electrocuted at any moment.

“We called our electric company and they arrived with a couple more of the hot sticks.” Brenda said. “You just can’t breathe because we all have seen so many electrocutions. We know what the damage can be.” The team tried reaching for her multiple times, waiting for the anteater to hold on to the hot sticks. Brenda mentioned that it was breathtaking, especially when the anteater finally grabbed onto the stick. However, the wild animal tried to escape through the trees and back to the power lines. The team had to use another pole to remove the anteater, who was determined to stay on the cables.

With the joint forces of the rescue team and the electric company, the anteater was safely rescued. Brenda took her to the facility until it was safe for her to return to the wild. And that same day, she was released to her natural habitat — away from power lines or any life-threatening areas. Brenda shared that it looked happy when she released the anteater, and she immediately searched for a place to stay or continue her nap. The team deserves applause because another animal returned home unharmed after a power nap on the cable lines. Watch the nerve-wracking rescue operation in the video below.

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Source: The Animal Rescue Site Blog