Watch: Cautious Cops Free Skunk With Head Stuck in Beer Can

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Officers in a Nebraska city recently freed a thirsty skunk with its head stuck in a Miller Lite beer can.

The stinky woodland creature was rescued by Lincoln Animal Control officers in the city of Lincoln. Experts were able to remove the can from the small mammal's head without being sprayed.

Lincoln Animal Control said Sunday: "Operation Drunk as a Skunk was successful!

"Just a friendly reminder to responsibly dispose of your garbage in order to not potentially harm the wildlife!"

Skunk stuck in beer can
Officers in Lincoln, Nebraska, recently freed a thirsty skunk with its head stuck in a Miller Lite beer can. @LincolnAnimalControl/Zenger

In the footage, the skunk is seen running around a grass median with its head stuck in the can while the filming officer jokes: "This call just stinks!"

An animal control official tries to pull the can from the skunk's head, but without any luck. She then throws a towel over the animal's body to prevent it from moving while her colleague carefully twists the can off the skunk's head.

With its sight returned, the skunk scampers across the grass to make its way home without kicking up a stink.

Nebraska boasts two skunk species: the eastern striped skunk (Mephitis mephitis) and the eastern spotted skunk (Spilogale putorius).

In local dialect, the spotted skunk is sometimes called a polecat or civet cat because of its resemblance to the Old World civet, but it is not related to either true civets or cats.

While the striped skunk is about the size of a domestic cat, averaging 6 to 8 pounds and up to 15 pounds, the spotted skunk is much smaller, and averages 1 to 4 pounds.

Miller Lite beer can skunk stuck
Lincoln Animal Control said Sunday: “Just a friendly reminder to responsibly dispose of your garbage in order to not potentially harm the wildlife!” after a skunk got its head stuck in a Miller Lite beer... @LincolnAnimalControl/Zenger

Striped skunks can climb obstacles but are not as nimble as spotted skunks, which can climb trees.

Skunks are omnivorous and are active throughout the year and forage in forests and agricultural areas to city lawns and parks. They are known for digging up grubs and insects on suburban lawns, as well as spraying inquisitive pet dogs with their offensive odor.

A skunk's sulfuric spray can hit targets up to 10 feet away and its stench can be detected at least 1 mile away. They like to feast on honeybees and wasps and often attack beehives, being immune to stings because of their thick fur.

Skunks are also known to eat venomous snakes and are immune to their poison.

First responders across the U.S. have recently been called for unique animal rescues, including in California where firefighters worked to free two puppies stuck in the den of a 100-pound tortoise, and in Tennessee where a bear cub had to be rescued after getting its head trapped in a plastic snack container.

This story was provided to Newsweek by Zenger News.

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