Groundhog rescued from claw machine at Pennsylvania mini golf course

DUNCANSVILLE, Pa. (KDKA) -- A groundhog was rescued from a claw machine at a mini golf course in Blair County.

The Pennsylvania Game Commission's southcentral region chronicled the groundhog's misadventure on Facebook, writing, "Who doesn't love the claw machine game? They have the best prizes! From a cute stuffed animal to a football, or maybe rubber duckies, or a groundhog… wait, a WHAT?"

Employees at the Meadows Family Fun Mini Golf in Duncansville, Blair County, called wardens last week after finding an unusual prize inside one of their claw machine games. The groundhog had apparently climbed up into the vending machine but couldn't figure out how to get back out. 

"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 game commission wrote on Facebook.

It took a little bit of cheating to win the prize -- the vending machine company was called to unlock the machine and free the groundhog. Warden Zaffuto was able to capture it and release it unharmed, saving the groundhog and his quarters.