When she saw the spiny animal go down the drain, the girl, aged 12 or 13, depending on the report, wrapped her hand in a towel and tried to rescue it, but when she reached in the echidna extended its spines, trapping the girl's arm against the drain wall.
When a firefighter reached his gloved hand in to try to free the girl 20 minutes later, the echidna recognized the better part of valor and walked forward, releasing the girl's arm, but not before she had dislocated her shoulder trying to free herself.
Echidnas, also known as a spiny anteater, are actually monotremes, and are the only mammals aside from the platypus to lay eggs.
The girl needn't have worried. The locals say the echidna is often seen in and around the drain.
Sources:
The Age
ABC News
Google Maps
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