It’s not every day that a guinea pig gets to venture to a local playground. But on a sunny day in May, Nutella the guinea pig made her way to Butterfield Park. She then found herself a quiet little spot under a piece of equipment similar to a merry go round and decided to take refuge there.
Elmhurst Park District staff were notified of the trapped animal on Monday, May 24 and made numerous attempts to free her along with other concerned patrons. For days, rescue attempts were made but to no avail. One local girl, a 7 year old resident, took a great interest in helping to free Nutella. She even researched ways to coax the guinea pig out of hiding.
Then on Friday, May 28, Director of Parks Dan Payne, Parks Supervisor Jim Kveton, and Facilities Supervisor Connor Lejman decided to give it another go.
“We were all three around the equipment trying various ways to get her out,” said Dan Payne, “It had to look absolutely ridiculous to anyone watching!” he joked.
When all hope seemed lost, the 7-year-old-girl and her mom showed up with a contraption that included a carrot on a string. The group worked together and eventually Nutella made her exit! She got to spend a few hours at the Park District’s maintenance shop before a family member was able to pick her up. Luckily, she was reunited with her family later that evening who then rewarded the little girl for her hard work and ingenuity!
“It was good for some laughs,” said Payne, “but it was worth it because the kids were thrilled to get their little guinea pig back!”
