Cat gets stuck in tree at East Coast Park, crowd attempts rescue
On Saturday (8 Feb), members of the public were seen attempting to rescue a stuck cat from a tree.
“There’s a big rescue operation going on at East Coast Park now,” said Mr Leon Tan, who captured the incident in a video uploaded on his TikTok account @leontko91.
The video showed a large crowd gathered under a tree, all staring up into the canopy.
Source: leontko91 on TikTok
An orange-and-white cat was perched high up on a branch, looking down with wide eyes.
Source: leontko91 on TikTok
Several people stood directly beneath the cat, holding up a piece of cloth or tarp to catch it if it fell.
They waved at the cat, trying to encourage it to jump down onto the safety ‘net’.
However, the furry feline didn’t appear to want to budge from its spot.
Source: leontko91 on TikTok
As such, one man climbed a short distance up the tree trunk and started stomping on the end of the branch in an attempt to shake the cat out of the tree.
Source: leontko91 on TikTok
Two others lent him their hands by shaking the branch as well, making the foliage wobble.
Source: leontko91 on TikTok
Despite their best efforts, the cat remained high up in the tree.
Source: leontko91 on TikTok
Speaking to MS News, Mr Tan said that the incident occurred at the dog park near the Starbucks by the Marine Parade underpass at around 6.20pm.
Owner wanted to get cat down
Mr Tan had gone to the dog park with his wife and his dog. However, he did not stick around to see the conclusion of the daring rescue operation, as his dog wanted to go home.
Source: TikTok
He told MS News that the cat seemed either scared or unwilling to come down from the tree.
Some netizens in the comments asked if the cat even needed the rescue, suggesting that it may have wanted to relax in the tree.
Mr Tan explained that the cat was not a stray, and its owner was trying to get their pet down.
Source: TikTok
He said that the owner seemed to be one of the people holding the mat or tarp under the cat. He also didn’t think that the crowd called the Singapore Civil Defence Force (SCDF) for assistance.
Instead, the crowd attempted the rescue by “shouting and meowing at the cat” whilst others shook and stomped on the branch to dislodge the cat.
‘Normal oyen behaviour’
Many netizens expressed concern for the cat in the comments. However, many commenters said cats tend to be “mischievous” and therefore would need to be leashed when brought outside.
One commenter joked that this was ‘normal oyen behaviour’.
Source: TikTok
One user claimed that the presence of the large crowd was counterproductive for the rescue.
They said the owner could have gotten it down faster with “gentle calling” and the cat’s favourite food.
Source: TikTok
Also read: Men Rescue Cat From Drowning In Bedok Reservoir Canal, Operation Took 20 Minutes In Rain
Men Rescue Cat From Drowning In Bedok Reservoir Canal, Operation Took 20 Minutes In Rain
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Featured image adapted from leontko91 on TikTok.
