KOCHI: It was indeed a game of cat an mouse between the fire and rescue team and a kitten which was spotted on top of a Kochi Metro pillar near Welcare Hospital on Sahodaran Ayyappan Road. The cat trapped in the gap between the pillar and the viaduct for the last four days before the Kochi Metro Rail Ltd (KMRL) officials were alerted by commuters upon hearing the kitten’s cry.
The fire and rescue team reached the spot on Sunday morning but soon realised that their mission was far from easy. A crane had to be brought to the location to enable the rescue team to reach the top of the pillar. A team was ready at the foot of the pillar with a broad net spread in the likelihood of the cat falling.
As two firemen at the top attempted to grab the kitten shifted, it retreated into the crevices making it difficult for them to catch the animal.
After realising that the rescue operation was more challenging than they first thought, the fire and rescue personnel called for additional backup. Two more firemen were brought in to stand on either side of the pillar. Startled by the commotion, the cat jumped on to the net below and tried to run away. The kitten, however, was caught by the onlookers and animal lovers who had gathered around the pillar to witness the rescue. A man was bitten in the process. The kitten was soon taken to a veterinary hospital nearby.
Every life matters
“KMRL provided man lifter machines and briefed the rescue personnel about the electric lines. Five KMRL officials monitored the entire rescue operation. The kitten is now at a pet hospital and is safe and healthy. We have already received calls from animal lovers enquiring about the kitten and coming forward to adopt it,” KMRL has said in a statement.