Kochi Metro Cat Rescue: Multi-Agency Operation Suspended After Six-Hour Effort
In a dramatic rescue attempt in Kochi, animal rescue activists, the fire force, and Kochi Metro Rail (KMRL) authorities collaborated on Sunday to save a stray cat that had been stranded for over a week atop a Metro pillar near Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium in Kaloor. However, after more than six hours of intensive efforts in the afternoon, the rescue mission had to be called off as the frightened animal retreated into the narrow gaps of the girder, forcing authorities to suspend operations by 5:15 PM.
Rescue Attempt Details and Challenges
The mission is expected to resume after 11:30 PM, once Metro services are suspended for the night. To facilitate the rescue, KMRL suspended metro services for 17 minutes, with power supply to the line disconnected at 4:44 PM and restored shortly afterward to allow train operations to continue. Road traffic in the area was also regulated during the attempt.
This incident marks the third such occurrence in recent years involving cats stranded on Metro pillars in the city. Officials from the Gandhi Nagar fire station reported that the cat had been stuck atop pillar number 556 for more than a week, with an earlier rescue attempt having failed.
A fire force official explained: "We resumed the operation around Sunday noon using a hydraulic crane arranged by staff from the Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (SPCA). Fire force personnel were lifted to the top of the pillar, and one of them even stepped onto the beam in search of the cat. However, the animal kept moving into small gaps inside the girder, making it impossible to retrieve it. We plan to resume the mission after 11:30 PM."
Setbacks and Community Response
Before suspending the operation in the evening, rescuers left fish and water on the pillar for the cat. The operation faced a significant setback when the crane developed a technical fault, leading to a hydraulic oil leak onto the road, necessitating the arrangement of a replacement crane.
Local autorickshaw drivers have nicknamed the animal after Subash, the character who falls into the Guna Cave in the film ‘Manjummal Boys’, adding a touch of local culture to the unfolding drama.
Preventive Measures Urged
SPCA Ernakulam district secretary T K Sajeev highlighted that cats typically end up on Metro pillars after being chased away by security personnel at stations, eventually climbing down into the pillars. He urged KMRL to implement preventive measures to avoid such incidents in the future, emphasizing the need for better animal management protocols around Metro infrastructure.
The collaborative effort underscores the commitment of multiple agencies to animal welfare, even as technical and logistical challenges persist. The community awaits the late-night resumption of the rescue, hoping for a successful outcome for the stranded feline.
