We couldn't leave them, say sailors who rescued kittens from deadly heat in Bahrain
Sailors serving at the UK Naval Support Facility in Bahrain have helped rescue and raise a litter of kittens after discovering them abandoned in the searing 40°C heat.
The five kittens, who were found crying beneath a shipping container, are believed to be around three weeks old and still too young to eat or drink on their own.
Their mother had died, leaving them to fend for themselves.
Royal Navy personnel stepped in immediately, taking turns between operational shifts to hand-feed the kittens and keep them cool in the punishing Gulf temperatures.
"We knew the mother, whom we fondly named Michelle," said Petty Officer Kirsty Scott.
"When we discovered her kittens, we were upset to find she had passed away, and they were left to fend for themselves.
"They would come running out crying from the shipping containers at the sight of personnel, looking for food – there was no way we could leave them suffering."
Despite the team's efforts, one of the kittens sadly died. But the remaining four survived and were given a clean bill of health by a local vet.
With help from the local animal rescue community, a permanent home was found for the surviving litter – although saying goodbye was emotional for the sailors who had become their foster parents.
"It was impossible to ignore the desperate cries of five tiny kittens knowing they wouldn't survive one day on their own in the punishing heat," said Lieutenant Nathan Boal, who serves in the Royal Navy's operational headquarters in Bahrain.
"I witnessed the caring side of our sailors as well as incredible teamwork to save these helpless animals.
"Alongside managing the challenges operational deployments can bring, these sailors showed incredible empathy – and no doubt this will be an enduring memory of their time in Bahrain."
The UK Naval Support Facility provides 24/7 support to Royal Navy vessels operating in the Gulf, Red Sea and Indian Ocean.
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