CREDIT: Wikimedia Commons/TwoWings

The platypus, with the scientific name Ornithorhynchus anatinus, is a cute and furry mammal that has a beak and lays eggs. Because of its unique look, a lot of people are fascinated by it and would visit Australia just to see one. It usually lives in Tasmania and along the eastern coast of mainland Australia. Like any wild animal, it loves to roam free and live amidst nature's glory. So, the last place anyone would look for a platypus would be inside a car.

But, 18-year-old Cameron Blaseotto got the shock of his life when he saw a female platypus in his car's engine!

The poor animal was stuck inside his engine as he drove for 15-kilometres through a flooded Murrumbidgee River in Angle Crossing. He was going to drop by a friend's house in Chisholm, a suburb in the district of Tuggeranong located in Canberra, Australia.

The platypus accidentally got trapped in the car, but miraculously survived the ordeal.

When Blaseotto arrived at Chisholm, he heard weird noises under the hood of his car. It sounded like something was scratching underneath. So, he immediately checked it out.

"We originally thought a possum or something was going to jump out at both of us," Blaseotto said.

When he opened the hood of his car, he was shocked to find a platypus. It was stuck under his engine's air intake.

But, what's even more surprising is that the animal was still alive and relatively unharmed.

Blaseotto called the Australian Capital Territory (ACT) Territory and Municipal Services (TAMS) Parks and Conservation Service on Wednesday night, Oct. 9, 2013 to ask for help on what to do about the animal.

ACT TAMS regional manager Brett McNamara admitted that at first, he and his colleagues found the story hard to believe.

"There's just so many dangers in terms of moving parts within an engine bay, there's nothing much to hang onto - platypus have claws," McNamara said.

"How this animal was able to climb up inside, hang on, and then drive all the way back into Canberra is a truly remarkable story. One of a kind, a one-in-a-million event."

The platypus which was eventually named Hilux has been released back into a Canberra creek on Thursday morning, Oct. 10, 2013.

Hilux the platypus will surely be missed by Blaseotto and McNamara, who seemed to have bonded over the unusual incident. McNamara even kissed Hilux goodbye before releasing it back into the wild.

Read more on other animal related stories:

Snoopybabe: The Newest Counterpart of Grumpy Cat [SLIDESHOW] (Click here)

Australian Grocery Store Chain Woolworths to Remove All Caged Hen Eggs from Shelves (Click here)

Dying After Mating: Why it Happens to Some (Click here)