Cat sole survivor of 115m fall in US canyon

Mirage the cat being treated after surviving falling into a canyon in Utah, United States. Photo / Best Friends Animal Society

• A cat survived a 115m fall into a canyon, where a couple died.
• The couple, Matthew Nannen and Bailee Crane, fell from Bryce Canyon National Park in Utah.
• The cat, named Mirage, was found in a torn carrier and is now recovering.

A cat that fell alongside a couple into a 115m-high canyon was the only survivor of the incident in the western United States, an animal protection organisation says.

The feline “was found in a black soft-sided carrier that was dirty and torn, but seemed to have weathered the fall fairly well”, the Best Friends Animal Society said Friday.

Its staff estimated the cat is 12 years old. It was found next to two people, a couple that local authorities said had died after falling from a popular tourist spot within Bryce Canyon National Park, in Utah, earlier this week.

The Garfield County Sheriff’s Office on Wednesday identified the deceased as Matthew Nannen, 45, and Bailee Crane, 58.

Local media reported the couple died between Monday and Tuesday. The cat, now named Mirage, was rescued alive Tuesday night and taken to an animal facility.

“She was matted and a bit sore, but friendly upon examination, as well as drinking and eating on her own,” the Best Friends Animal Society said.

It added that Mirage’s blood work showed no signs of abnormality but that staff were awaiting X-rays to determine whether there were any other injuries.

– Agence France-Presse