A Kentucky nurse saved a baby raccoon’s life by performing CPR after the animal became drunk from eating fermented peaches and nearly drowned in a dumpster. Misty Combs, a registered nurse at the Letcher County Health Department in Whitesburg, discovered the situation when she and colleagues spotted a panicked mother raccoon in their parking lot. They found two baby raccoons trapped in a dumpster belonging to Kentucky Mist Moonshine distillery next door. While one baby was safely lifted out with a shovel, the second was face-down in the water and appeared dead.
Despite others saying the raccoon was dead, Combs immediately began CPR, doing chest compressions and periodically turning the animal over and slapping it on the back. The raccoon suddenly started breathing, and Kentucky Fish and Wildlife personnel took custody of it. A veterinarian confirmed the raccoon was indeed drunk and administered fluids while keeping it overnight to sober up. The raccoon was dubbed “Otis Campbell” after the town drunk character from The Andy Griffith Show. The next day, Combs was given the opportunity to release the now-sober raccoon back into the wild for a reunion with its mother and sibling.
Source: UPI
