A prickly situation: SPCA inspector tackles daring cat rescue
Sharp thorns and a cat stranded high in a Sweet Thorn tree were no match for Boksburg SPCA inspector Nkosi Sibiya, who came to the rescue on Voting Day.
Behind every successful animal rescue is a dedicated team, a caring community and the financial support that makes it all possible.
A rescue by Boksburg SPCA Inspector Nkosi Sibiya in Klippoortjie on voting day (November 4) is a powerful reminder of why public support is vital to keeping the society on the road and ensuring help reaches animals in need.
Responding to a call from a member of the public, Sibiya assisted a cat that had become stuck in tall tree.
“The cat had been stuck up the tree since the night before. The owner was hoping the cat would come down on its own, but it didn’t, “ said secretary Sue Beadon.
Beadon explained that this was no ordinary tree, but a large Sweet Thorn tree, estimated to be between eight and 12 metres tall.
“With those sharp white thorns. It was not going to be an easy rescue at all!
Inspector Sibiya arrived at the address to assist and found the cat still stranded high up on a branch.
“The cat’s owner and some neighbours managed to borrow an extendable ladder and had tried themselves for two hours to reach their cat, but to no avail,” Sue added.
Inspector Sibiya placed the ladder closer to the cat and, after some attempts- and lots of thorn scratches and pricks- managed to reach the animal safely. With a firm grip, he carefully brought the cat safely down the ladder and back to terra firma.
Beadon explained that the society does not always have the specialised equipment needed for rescues of this nature, and acknowledged the neighbours’ contribution to the successful outcome.
“We don’t have such a ladder at the society. It’s not that we want to assist in these situations; we don’t have the resources. I know that community members used to call the fire department to help in these situations, but I don’t know if they still attend to it anymore,” she said.
According to the City of Ekurhuleni’s Disaster and Emergency Management Services (DEMS) spokesperson, William Ntladi, the department remains willing to assist when called upon.
“Depending on the circumstances, we do go out on calls to help cats that are stuck in trees. However, we don’t receive a lot of these requests,” said Ntladi.
To support the Boksburg SPCA, contact the society on 011 916 5906/7.
In the case of potential life-threatening emergencies, call DEMS on 011 458 0911.
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