This is a story about 2 kittens that were dumped in their carry crates over a wall on to Ramsley Moor on the eastern edge of the Peak District.
Watch this …
Then watch this quite remarkable bit of thermal drone footage …
In the military we used to talk about the ‘shock of capture’ … and this terrified wee thing had just spent over 2 weeks on moorland in winter and seen its sibling die …
…. then all of a sudden it’s at the Ranger Base in bright lights and noise.
It inhaled a whole packet of chicken then jumped in the sink and then went and hid under the fridge.
It’s like Bravo Two Zero for cats !!!
We think it’s a she. She is temporarily called Ramsley.
Ramsley unsurprisingly has quite an appetite …
and is now spending the night in a nice warm house in Sheffield before heading to the vet tomorrow.
She has frayed edges to her ears, a lump in her back, big paws and a few scratches here and there. We’re all hoping she’ll be okay after a few vet visits.
It’s hard to think of a situation which would make it ‘okay’ to throw 2 kittens over a wall on to moorland. Words really do fail me.
It’s pixelated out, but this is the state of her deceased sibling when we found it earlier in the week …
But we are where we are. There’s lots of shit in the world but you have to do what you can to help those that you can help. Human or animal.
There have been quite a few of the Eastern Moors Partnership rangers involved in finding, keeping tabs on, feeding and catching the kitten. Not least Jane and her awareness to keep monitoring the area where the crates were found …. which led to the discovery of the deceased kitten and a glimpse of the white one. I’m also struck by the memory of 4 rangers volunteering to stand in freezing rain and driving snow late at night peering in to the darkness through thermal imagers looking for this kitten. Derbyshire Constabulary Rural Crime Team were also involved in investigating the dumping of the kittens and the analysis of the deceased one.
Thank you to everyone. The team works 👍
An update to follow after the visit to the vet.
Update 14th February ….
Female. 2.6kg (underweight). 6 months ish old. Generally good health. Tail bent from previous trauma. Wasn’t chipped. Now chipped and registered and first vaccinated. Quite feisty !!! and vocal. Adopted and now off the moors and residing in a semi detached in Crosspool with her own room.
Happy ending / new start …. Thanks again.