Crews rescue fat rat wedged in manhole

Once upon a time (Sunday) … in a town far, far away (Germany) … there was a damsel in distress.

“She had a lot of winter flab and was stuck fast at her hip — there was no going forward or back,” animal rescuer Michael Sehr told local media, according to a report by the BBC.

She was a rat, a large one. Based on her size she was a parent, which would make her a dam(sel). She was stuck in a sewer manhole cover in Bensheim, Germany, in a story that’s brightened people’s day beyond the 40,000 residents and uncounted rats who call the town about 20 miles south of Mannheim home.

This rat is so fat it got stuck in a sewer grate and had to be rescued https://t.co/S6qAp1DfGZ pic.twitter.com/O4sKc3dzuN

— BuzzFeed News (@BuzzFeedNews) February 26, 2019

A fairly large rescue operation ensued after the rat was found and some questioned why the effort was spent to save the rodent.

“Even animals that are hated by many deserve respect,” Sehr said to those rat-haters, the BBC reported.

Watch the rescue:

The story could seemingly have been the creation of those famous German tale-spinners the Brother Grimm, but this story had a happy ending.

With the help of a full team of firefighters, the manhole cover was lifted and propped on wedges while Sehr managed to pop the rotund rat free.

She was released straight back into the sewer — but not before some close-up photographs were snapped.

And Twitter loved it:

She also could have a friend in New York (who doesn’t) in Pizza Rat.

Or this rat, who had a few too many.

Just another day in New York City. pic.twitter.com/ilX1IaME5B

— Chris Williamson (@CWilliamson44) February 14, 2019