Miracle cat that survived owners' fatal fall from Bryce Canyon gets new home

A senior cat that was found alongside her deceased owners at the bottom of a Bryce Canyon lookout in April has been adopted by the helicopter pilot who rescued her after her fall.

Search and rescue teams found the cat, now named Mira, in a soft-sided carrier at the bottom of a 380-foot cliff in Bryce Canyon National Park in late April. She had fallen off the cliff with her two owners, who did not survive. Among the rescue personnel was helicopter pilot Chelsea Tugaw, who helped transport Mira to a boarding facility in the nearby town of Panguitch, Best Friends Animal Society’s chief sanctuary officer Judah Battista told SFGATE. Mira was taken to a sanctuary in Kanab that is run by Best Friends Animal Society following her initial transport.

“On initial presentation, Mira was in remarkably good condition, considering what had just happened,” Battista said.

Initial evaluations and X-rays showed that Mira’s injuries included two broken teeth and some cracked ribs but nothing that required surgical intervention. However, after being held for observation for about a week, veterinary staff began noticing that her breathing was labored. Further X-rays then revealed that one of Mira’s lungs had collapsed and fluid had begun to leak inside her chest.

Mira, who is 12 years old, was then taken to a specialist in Las Vegas, where the fluid in her chest was removed. She was brought back to Best Friends Animal Sanctuary after her procedure. At this point, staff at the sanctuary had named her “Mirage.”

https://www.sfgate.com/national-parks/article/bryce-canyon-cat-pilot-adopted-20371006.php

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I love happy endings!

I hope she can overcome her trauma and bond with her new owner.