25 September,2017 04:37 PM IST | Mumbai | Rajendra B. Aklekar
Two emerald-eyed kittens, stuck inside the electromotive diesel locomotive of the Kolhapur-Mumbai Koyna Express that arrived on Friday morning, were rescued after a 24-hour Herculean effort by the railway staff
The railway yard at CST was abuzz with new sounds over Friday and Saturday - mewling meows. Two emerald-eyed kittens, stuck inside the electromotive diesel locomotive of the Kolhapur-Mumbai Koyna Express that arrived on Friday morning, were rescued after a 24-hour Herculean effort by the railway staff.
The two kittens that were trapped inside Koyna Express
Gaurav hid the cats
"The two kittens were stuck in a cramped location of WDP-4D class loco number 40235 named 'Gaurav' that brought in the train. The noise had scared them, pushing them to hide deep inside the nose compartment of the locomotive; the driver realised it and reported it to the yard on arrival," said an official.
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"Because they had gone in deep, it was quite an effort to bring them out. The nose compartment is a small place, enough to accommodate only a person's arm, from the driving cab end of the loco. It's where the air brake equipment panel for the engine's computer-controlled brakes is placed."
Another person who was part of the rescue operation said, "The loco pilot first alerted us; we were on the job since the train arrived. We separated the loco from the train, and then came the difficult task. We tried to lure them out with food, but that didn't work, as they were very scared. We then tried to extract them with a stick, but they stuck to the corners. It was only on Saturday morning, after they were left undisturbed for sometime, that they could be pulled out unscathed, almost 24 hours after it was first reported."
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They were given milk, after which they were seen happily frolicking all over the yard. They were later handed over to a veterinary hospital.
Scary sounds around
"Loud noises tend to scare cats; some of them are more sensitive. These two were extremely tiny. They must have got scared with the continuous vibrations and loud sounds, and hence, holed themselves up in a corner. Good to know that they were freed safe and sound," said animal rights activist Sunish Subramanian from Plant and Animal Welfare Society.
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