Current:Home > StocksStuffed or real? Photos show groundhog stuck inside claw machine-LoTradeCoin
Stuffed or real? Photos show groundhog stuck inside claw machine
View Date:2024-12-23 19:28:22
Some people probably needed to look twice.
State officials in Pennsylvania recently responded to an unusual call after someone reporting finding a su-"prize" in a claw game machine.
Employees with The Meadows Family Fun Mini Golf in the borough of Duncansville were startled by "an unusual “prize inside one of their claw machine games when they discovered a groundhog inside, the Pennsylvania Game Commission said.
Photos provided by the commission to USA TODAY this week show the trapped critter blending in with stuffed animals inside the machine at the Blair County business located about 90 miles directly east of Pittsburgh.
Warden Salvadore Zaffuto responded to the scene and discovered the furry animal had somehow found its way into the vending machine, but it could not escape, the state agency reported.
"When Warden Zaffuto responded and approached the machine, he saw a wave of stuffed animals move as the groundhog scurried around underneath, then it popped its head out to assess the situation," the agency wrote in a post on social media.
Groundhog rescue draws online applause
The vending machine company was contacted to unlock the machine, allowing the warden "to safely capture the groundhog and release it unharmed," the commission posted on Facebook.
The save drew praise from the internet.
"I love those sweethearts," one person wrote in the comment section below the commission's post. "Thank you for caring."
Another responded, "Great work!"
"I would have went broke trying to win that," one Facebook user wrote.
"He just wanted a comfy place to sleep," someone else posted.
Another user wrote, "Mr. Gopher just needed redirected back onto the putting greens! (Caddyshack)."
Some even suggested naming the critter.
"Name him Claude (or Clawd) for the claw machine he was in," a user posted.
Another person suggested “Duncansville Dan” while another user drummed up: “Meadow” after the name of the business he snuck inside.
As of Wednesday, the groundhog's worldly whereabouts wasn't clear.
Natalie Neysa Alund is a senior reporter for USA TODAY. Reach her at [email protected] and follow her on X @nataliealund.
veryGood! (26598)
Related
- Kentucky woman seeking abortion files lawsuit over state bans
- Friends' Creator Urges Fans to Remember Matthew Perry for His Legacy, Not His Death
- George Santos due in court, expected to plead guilty in fraud case, AP source says
- Off the Grid: Sally breaks down USA TODAY's daily crossword puzzle, Cutting the Cards
- Artem Chigvintsev Returns to Dancing With the Stars Ballroom Amid Nikki Garcia Divorce
- Settlement reached in D'Vontaye Mitchell's death; workers headed for trial
- Georgia sheriff’s deputy shot while serving a search warrant
- Judge knocks down Hunter Biden’s bid to use Trump ruling to get his federal tax case dismissed
- Certifying this year’s presidential results begins quietly, in contrast to the 2020 election
- A 2-year-old accidentally shot and wounded his mother’s boyfriend, police say
Ranking
- Sting Says Sean Diddy Combs Allegations Don't Taint His Song
- 'We've lost a hero': Georgia deputy fatally shot after responding to domestic dispute
- Fantasy football draft cheat sheet: Top players for 2024, ranked by position
- Native Americans go missing at alarming rates. Advocates hope a new alert code can help
- UConn, Kansas State among five women's college basketball games to watch this weekend
- Rosie O’Donnell’s Son Blake O'Donnell Marries Teresa Garofalow Westervelt
- Ex-officer convicted in George Floyd’s killing is moved to new prison months after stabbing
- Georgia sheriff’s deputy shot while serving a search warrant
Recommendation
-
Republican Dan Newhouse wins reelection to US House in Washington
-
Joe Jonas Shares Glimpse Into His Crappy 35th Birthday Celebration
-
Ernesto gains strength over open Atlantic. Unrelated downpours in Connecticut lead to rescues
-
PHOTO COLLECTION: Election 2024 Trump
-
Suspect arrested after deadly Tuskegee University homecoming shooting
-
Mamie Laverock is out of hospital care following 5-story fall: 'Dreams do come true'
-
‘Hitting kids should never be allowed’: Illinois bans corporal punishment in all schools
-
Maker of prepared meals will hire 300 new workers in $6 million Georgia expansion