Siddhima/JeRan Unbreakable Bond:We Are Same Same But Different - Page 70

The duo climbed up a 10-storey building in Malad and brought it down after even the fire brigade gave up

A stray kitten that had been stuck for four days on the 4th floor of a building in Malad was recently saved by two determined animal lovers, even as the fire brigade gave up after an exhausting rescue effort.

Rahul Koshaley and Deepak Chavda, both volunteers at an animal NGO, tried a series of stunts over a span of two days, after which they finally managed to save five-monthold Ginger by climbing up the 10-storey building.

Ginger, who was often spotted near a MHADA building in Kaach Pada, went missing on April 27. Shagufta Shaikh, who feeds stray cats in the area, called the fire brigade and animal welfare organizations when she discovered it was nowhere to be seen.

When fire fighters arrived, they discovered that the kitten was stuck somewhere near the 4th floor inside a duct that ran all the way up to the 10-storey building's terrace. They tried to reach it, but couldn't because Ginger had crawled deep into a crevice in the duct. They even tried luring the kitten out, but failed. After trying for almost an hour, they gave up, saying it was stuck too deep inside the duct to be brought out.

Shaikh then contacted Pradeep Kadam, who runs an ambulance service and rescues animals. Kadam managed to climb up to the 2nd floor of the building, but also gave up as it was way too dangerous.

On May 1, Rahul, who volunteer for NGO Animals Matter to Me (AMTM) reached the spot. "I was in the area for another case when I came to know about the kitten. I decided to go immediately because the kitten had been stuck for four days. I reached the place around midnight and managed to climb up to the 2nd floor using just a 5-foot-long ladder. The kitten was stuck at least 10 feet above me," said Rahul.

Rahul tried all kinds of methods to bring out the kitten -- which included tying bedsheets to the ladder, then trying to force it to jump out so its fall would be cushioned - but failed. Finally, he gave up and decided to try again the next day.

Next evening, he brought Deepak along with him, and the two tried again. When their tricks didn't work, Deepak finally climbed up to the fourth floor of the building, pulled out the cat, put it safely in a sack and finally brought it down.

After two harrowing days, the two animal lovers were relieved. "I am a cat lover and a mountaineering enthusiast. So both my dreams were fulfilled!" grinned Rahul. "They say a cat has nine lives. At least I managed to save it in one," said Deepak while speaking to Mirror.