Stowaway groundhog rescued from Ohio woman’s car engine

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ATHENS, Ohio — An Ohio woman needed animal control, not a mechanic, when it turned out the thumping under her car’s hood was coming from a stowaway groundhog. Rebecca Martin said she heard the noise last Tuesday while running errands with other family members in Athens in southeast Ohio.

When they pulled over in a Wal-Mart parking lot and lifted the hood, Martin said up popped one of the largest groundhogs she’d ever seen. It then chose to burrow in near the engine, so 911 was called.

Athens County Dog Warden Jeff Koons responded, and it took him more than five minutes to get the critter to come out. When it finally did, it scurried across Martin’s feet and eluded Koons for half an hour hiding under cars. He captured the groundhog and released it in a rural area.

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-- Associated Press