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This kitten was trapped inside a stormwater drain

Trapped inside a stormwater drain in Mile End, this little kitten was unable to climb through its steep opening to freedom. With the weather forecasting torrential rain, this little kitten was moments away from danger. Rescue officer Nalika knew she was running against the clock.

“I couldn’t quite reach down and grab her, which meant she needed to be coaxed out. Due to the weather changing, I knew we didn’t have much time,” said Nalika.

“To make things worse, we were right near a busy road. I knew we had to get her out there and then.”

As Nalika spoke gently to the kitten she could see her little nose poking up through the drain. She was frightened and unwilling to move, but with a bit of patience Nalika, the cat whisper was successfully able to coax her out before the first drop landed.

The kitten is now in safe hands, being looked after by one of our foster volunteers.

Adventurous cat finds itself trapped atop a windswept tree

It appears this cat was going for the climbing record, scaling to the tippy top of a paperbark tree in Ascot Park. The cat had bitten off more than he could chew, finding himself stuck atop the windswept canopy for three whole days.

RSPCA received a call from a member of the public, who had attempted to get the cat down to safety by leaving food out. Rescue Officer Heidi concluded there was no reason why the cat couldn’t get down himself, however, with the weather heating up it was decided to call in the MFS.

The local firies were unable to reach the cat with their own truck and needed to call in back-up from city headquarters, who arrived with a cherry picker. Due to the thickness of the tree, the cat evaded capture and had climbed even higher.

Heidi speculated that a beehive found at the base might have been the reason why the cat hadn’t climbed down on its own.

The next day the cat was still up high and the day was warm. Lester, a semi-retired tree climber, was kind enough to volunteer his time to help with the rescue operation.

Armed with a long(er) ladder and some climbing ropes, Lester had no fear scaling the upper canopy of the tree to bring a rather distraught kitty back to safety.

Poor Pacific gull caught himself a snag

Limping across a St Kilda carpark, this Pacific gull was in a lot of pain. A fishing float had become entangled around one of his legs and was affecting his ability to catch a meal.

Local rescue groups had attempted to trap the bird but had failed to lure him with food. Rescue Officer Nalika was contacted and asked to bring a net.

“I arrived with my Dnet (a net designed for capturing animals) and placed some food under it and had a volunteer pull a rope when the bird climbed underneath,” said Nalika.

“We were able to contain him really quickly. Even though he was a big bird, he barely put up a struggle.”

After a closer inspection, Nalika was alarmed at how skinny the bird actually was. She was later told the bird had been sighted with the float tied to his leg two weeks before.

“It must have been so hard for him to get around and it was obviously affecting his ability to eat anything. I’m sure he really enjoyed his first meal afterwards,” smiled Nalika.

Nalika was particularly concerned with a fishing hook that had become embedded in the gull’s leg. “You could tell it was infected, so I took the bird to AMWRRO (Australian Marine Wildlife Research & Rescue Organisation).”

It’s a reminder to not litter or discard fishing tackle around because wild animals and birds often find themselves caught up in it. And if you do see wildlife in trouble, raise the alarm early. This bird is one of the lucky ones to be rescued in time – sadly, many aren’t.