{"id":50413,"date":"2023-07-12T06:03:42","date_gmt":"2023-07-12T04:03:42","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/tygerburger\/hero-climbs-towering-tree-to-rescue-kitten-in-bellville-cape-town-20230712\/"},"modified":"2025-03-19T22:09:30","modified_gmt":"2025-03-19T20:09:30","slug":"hero-climbs-towering-tree-to-rescue-kitten-in-bellville-cape-town-20230712","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/tygerburger\/hero-climbs-towering-tree-to-rescue-kitten-in-bellville-cape-town-20230712\/","title":{"rendered":"Hero climbs towering tree to rescue kitten in Bellville, Cape Town"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p>With his bare feet, a trainee inspector from the Cape of Good Hope SPCA last week fearlessly climbed up to the top of a 25 metre tall, giant of a tree in Belgravia to rescue a kitten. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Lindo Mbele did not waver to scale the tree where the kitten found herself stuck on after clambering up it the previous night. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cNo amount of coaxing could bring her down. The kitten, in clear distress, was almost at the top, essentially trapped and hanging on for dear life,\u201d says SPCA spokesperson Belinda Abrahams.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The family called on the SPCA for help in the early hours of Monday morning (3 July).<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cWhen our trainee inspector arrived, the pitiful meowing he could hear drove him to action. Surveying the tree, and estimating the branch placement on the way to the top, he felt confident he would be able to climb it,\u201d says Abrahams.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Mbele says he observed the tree and concluded that he could climb it as there were many branches to use as footholds.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cBut I would have to do it barefoot. I also knew I wouldn\u2019t be able to climb up with a cat carrier because I needed both my hands free.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>And so he emptied his backpack to use as a makeshift carrier and removed his socks and shoes to ensure the best possible grip on the branches. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>It took Mbele about 25 minutes to reach the kitten.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cShe needed some convincing to come to me and even more to get her in my bag. I climbed down slowly because I needed to keep checking on her. I was in the tree for over an hour but it was worth it when I was able to give her back to the family who love her. Aside from being hungry, thirsty and cold, the little kitten was surprisingly unscathed,\u201d he says.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>With his bare feet, a trainee inspector from the Cape of Good Hope SPCA last week fearlessly climbed up to the top of a 25 metre tall, giant of a tree in Belgravia to rescue a kitten.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":20,"featured_media":50415,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_yoast_wpseo_linkdex":"","_yoast_wpseo_content_score":"","_yoast_wpseo_inclusive_language_score":"","_yoast_wpseo_is_cornerstone":"","_yoast_wpseo_canonical":"","_yoast_wpseo_opengraph-title":"","_yoast_wpseo_opengraph-description":"","_yoast_wpseo_opengraph-image":"","_yoast_wpseo_opengraph-image-id":"","_yoast_wpseo_twitter-title":"","_yoast_wpseo_twitter-description":"","_yoast_wpseo_twitter-image":"","_yoast_wpseo_twitter-image-id":"","newspack_ads_suppress_ads":false,"newspack_sponsor_sponsorship_scope":"","newspack_sponsor_native_byline_display":"inherit","newspack_sponsor_native_category_display":"inherit","newspack_sponsor_underwriter_style":"inherit","newspack_sponsor_underwriter_placement":"inherit","_crsspst_to_novanewscoza":false,"_crsspst_to_novanewscozabloemnewsexpress":false,"_crsspst_to_novanewscozacityvision":false,"_crsspst_to_novanewscozadistrictmailhelderberg":false,"_crsspst_to_novanewscozaeikestadnuus":false,"_crsspst_to_novanewscozahermanustimes":false,"_crsspst_to_novanewscozakomani-karoo":false,"_crsspst_to_novanewscozakougaexpress":false,"_crsspst_to_novanewscozamthathaexpress":false,"_crsspst_to_novanewscozanoordkaapbulletin":false,"_crsspst_to_novanewscozapaarlpost":false,"_crsspst_to_novanewscozapeexpress":false,"_crsspst_to_novanewscozapeoplespost":false,"_crsspst_to_novanewscozaswartlandgazette":false,"_crsspst_to_novanewscozaudexpress":false,"_crsspst_to_novanewscozavistanews":false,"_crsspst_to_novanewscozavrystaatkroon":false,"_crsspst_to_novanewscozaweskusnuus":false,"_crsspst_to_novanewscozaweslander":false,"_crsspst_to_novanewscozaworcesterstandard":false,"_EventAllDay":"","_EventTimezone":"","_EventStartDate":"","_EventEndDate":"","_EventStartDateUTC":"","_EventEndDateUTC":"","_EventShowMap":"","_EventShowMapLink":"","_EventURL":"","_EventCost":"","_EventCostDescription":"","_EventCurrencySymbol":"","_EventCurrencyCode":"","_EventCurrencyPosition":"","_EventDateTimeSeparator":"","_EventTimeRangeSeparator":"","_EventOrganizerID":"","_EventVenueID":"","_OrganizerEmail":"","_OrganizerPhone":"","_OrganizerWebsite":"","_VenueAddress":"","_VenueCity":"","_VenueCountry":"","_VenueProvince":"","_VenueState":"","_VenueZip":"","_VenuePhone":"","_VenueURL":"","_VenueStateProvince":"","_VenueLat":"","_VenueLng":"","_VenueShowMap":"","_VenueShowMapLink":"","_application":"","_batch_id":"","_company_name":"","_company_tagline":"","_company_twitter":"","_company_video":"","_company_website":"","_custom_id":"2a1493a0-6f2d-4a05-8de4-7d172c8a5446","_EventDuration":"","_EventOrigin":"","_EventTimezoneAbbr":"","_featured":"","_filled":"","_job_expires":"","_job_location":"","_media_credit":"","_media_credit_url":"","_menu_item_menu_item_parent":"","_menu_item_object":"","_menu_item_object_id":"","_menu_item_target":"","_menu_item_type":"","_menu_item_url":"","_menu_item_xfn":"","_navis_media_can_distribute":"","_navis_media_credit_org":"","_OrganizerOrigin":"","_provider":"","_pum_built_in":"","_pum_default_theme":"","_pum_form_conversion_count":"","_remote_id":"","_remote_name":"","_remote_position":"","_report_frequency":"","_report_reference_dates":"","_send_attempts":"","_site_id":"","_sitemap_exclude":"","_sitemap_frequency":"","_sitemap_priority":"","_source_url":"","_subscription_period":"","_subscription_period_interval":"","_subscription_price":"","_tec_slr_enabled":"","_tec_slr_layout":"","_template_type":"","_ticket_end_date":"","_ticket_start_date":"","_tribe_aggregator_allow_multiple_organizers":"","_tribe_aggregator_content_type":"","_tribe_aggregator_file":"","_tribe_aggregator_finalized":"","_tribe_aggregator_hash":"","_tribe_aggregator_import_id":"","_tribe_aggregator_import_name":"","_tribe_aggregator_interactive":"","_tribe_aggregator_origin":"","_tribe_aggregator_post_status":"","_tribe_aggregator_preview":"","_tribe_aggregator_source_name":"","_tribe_aggregator_type":"","_tribe_default_ticket_provider":"","_tribe_hide_attendees_list":"","_tribe_rsvp_for_event":"","_tribe_ticket_capacity":"","_tribe_ticket_header":"","_tribe_ticket_show_description":"","_tribe_ticket_show_not_going":"","_tribe_ticket_version":"","_type":"","_VenueOrigin":"","_wp_attachment_context":"","_wp_attachment_image_alt":"","_wp_font_face_file":"","_wp_old_date":"","_yoast_wpseo_estimated-reading-time-minutes":"","_yoast_wpseo_focuskeywords":"","_yoast_wpseo_focuskw_text_input":"","_yoast_wpseo_keywordsynonyms":"","_yoast_wpseo_primary_block-catalog":"","_yoast_wpseo_primary_category":"","_yoast_wpseo_primary_job_listing_type":"","_yoast_wpseo_primary_nova_retailer":"","_yoast_wpseo_primary_publication":"","_yoast_wpseo_primary_tribe_events_cat":"","_yoast_wpseo_videositemap-duration":"","_yoast_wpseo_videositemap-rating":"","_menu_item_classes":[],"_tribe_modified_fields":[],"_wp_attachment_backup_sizes":[],"_wp_suggested_privacy_policy_content":[],"_yoast_post_redirect_info":[],"_yoast_wpseo_video_meta":[],"activation_date":"","archive_insertion_is_repeating":"","archive_insertion_posts_count":"","article_feature_media":"","article_feature_type":"","article_main_image_caption":"","article_media_icon":"","article_template":"","author_byline":"Desir\u00e9e Rorke (@Dezzierorke)","background_color":"","block_editor":"","byline":"","cmplz_hide_cookiebanner":"","competition_end_date":"","contact_advertise_email":"","contact_advertise_phone":"","contact_editorial_email":"","contact_general_email":"","contact_general_phone":"","contact_office_hours":"","contact_physical_address":"","enabled":"","featured_image_custom_caption":"","featured_video_url":"","fields":"","font_body":"","font_header":"","frequency":"","headline":"","hide_border":"","icon":"","is_wp_suggestion":"","issuu_download_url":"","issuu_embed_url":"","language_version_url":"","large_border":"","name":"","nm_contact_name":"","nm_contact_number":"","nm_date_lost":"","no_overlay_background":"","node-url":"","obituary_born_date":"","obituary_died_date":"","obituary_memoriam_text":"","origin":"","overlay_color":"","overlay_opacity":"","overlay_size":"","placement":"","plural_label":"","post_author":"","post_id":"","post_language":"en","secret-key":"","sponsored_utm_campaign":"","sponsored_utm_content":"","sponsored_utm_medium":"","sponsored_utm_source":"","sponsored_utm_term":"","start_date":"","utm_suppression":"","video_embed_url":"","wp_pattern_sync_status":"","data_version":[],"enclosure":[],"pongrass_image":[],"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_newspack_byline_active":false,"_newspack_byline":"","newspack_content_restriction_is_exempt":false,"scaip_prevent_shortcode_addition":false,"_jetpack_feature_clip_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"newspack_spnsrs_tax":[],"publication":[],"class_list":["post-50413","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-news"],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO Premium plugin v27.8 (Yoast SEO v27.8) - https:\/\/yoast.com\/product\/yoast-seo-premium-wordpress\/ -->\n<title>Hero climbs towering tree to rescue kitten in Bellville, Cape Town | TygerBurger<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/tygerburger\/hero-climbs-towering-tree-to-rescue-kitten-in-bellville-cape-town-20230712\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Hero climbs towering tree to rescue kitten in Bellville, Cape Town\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"With his bare feet, a trainee inspector from the Cape of Good Hope SPCA last week fearlessly climbed up to the top of a 25 metre tall, giant of a tree in Belgravia to rescue a kitten.\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:url\" content=\"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/tygerburger\/hero-climbs-towering-tree-to-rescue-kitten-in-bellville-cape-town-20230712\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:site_name\" content=\"TygerBurger\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:publisher\" content=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/TygerBurger\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:published_time\" content=\"2023-07-12T04:03:42+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:modified_time\" content=\"2025-03-19T20:09:30+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:image\" content=\"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/tygerburger\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/f88bb235c81e4d958d2c22f1317960e5.jpeg\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:width\" content=\"1080\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:height\" content=\"1080\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:type\" content=\"image\/jpeg\" \/>\n<meta name=\"author\" content=\"Desir\u00e9e Rorke (@Dezzierorke)\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:card\" content=\"summary_large_image\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:creator\" content=\"@tygerburger\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:site\" content=\"@tygerburger\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:label1\" content=\"Written by\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data1\" content=\"TygerBurger\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:label2\" content=\"Est. reading time\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data2\" content=\"2 minutes\" \/>\n<script type=\"application\/ld+json\" class=\"yoast-schema-graph\">{\"@context\":\"https:\\\/\\\/schema.org\",\"@graph\":[{\"@type\":\"Article\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/novanews.co.za\\\/tygerburger\\\/hero-climbs-towering-tree-to-rescue-kitten-in-bellville-cape-town-20230712\\\/#article\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/novanews.co.za\\\/tygerburger\\\/hero-climbs-towering-tree-to-rescue-kitten-in-bellville-cape-town-20230712\\\/\"},\"author\":{\"name\":\"TygerBurger\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/novanews.co.za\\\/tygerburger\\\/#\\\/schema\\\/person\\\/0f71e348ba4b9942416d90370345e952\"},\"headline\":\"Hero climbs towering tree to rescue kitten in Bellville, Cape Town\",\"datePublished\":\"2023-07-12T04:03:42+00:00\",\"dateModified\":\"2025-03-19T20:09:30+00:00\",\"mainEntityOfPage\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/novanews.co.za\\\/tygerburger\\\/hero-climbs-towering-tree-to-rescue-kitten-in-bellville-cape-town-20230712\\\/\"},\"wordCount\":318,\"commentCount\":0,\"publisher\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/novanews.co.za\\\/tygerburger\\\/#organization\"},\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/novanews.co.za\\\/tygerburger\\\/hero-climbs-towering-tree-to-rescue-kitten-in-bellville-cape-town-20230712\\\/#primaryimage\"},\"thumbnailUrl\":\"https:\\\/\\\/novanews.co.za\\\/tygerburger\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2025\\\/03\\\/f88bb235c81e4d958d2c22f1317960e5.jpeg\",\"articleSection\":[\"News\"],\"inLanguage\":\"en-ZA\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"CommentAction\",\"name\":\"Comment\",\"target\":[\"https:\\\/\\\/novanews.co.za\\\/tygerburger\\\/hero-climbs-towering-tree-to-rescue-kitten-in-bellville-cape-town-20230712\\\/#respond\"]}],\"copyrightYear\":\"2023\",\"copyrightHolder\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/novanews.co.za\\\/tygerburger\\\/#organization\"}},{\"@type\":\"WebPage\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/novanews.co.za\\\/tygerburger\\\/hero-climbs-towering-tree-to-rescue-kitten-in-bellville-cape-town-20230712\\\/\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/novanews.co.za\\\/tygerburger\\\/hero-climbs-towering-tree-to-rescue-kitten-in-bellville-cape-town-20230712\\\/\",\"name\":\"Hero climbs towering tree to rescue kitten in Bellville, Cape Town | TygerBurger\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/novanews.co.za\\\/tygerburger\\\/#website\"},\"primaryImageOfPage\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/novanews.co.za\\\/tygerburger\\\/hero-climbs-towering-tree-to-rescue-kitten-in-bellville-cape-town-20230712\\\/#primaryimage\"},\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/novanews.co.za\\\/tygerburger\\\/hero-climbs-towering-tree-to-rescue-kitten-in-bellville-cape-town-20230712\\\/#primaryimage\"},\"thumbnailUrl\":\"https:\\\/\\\/novanews.co.za\\\/tygerburger\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2025\\\/03\\\/f88bb235c81e4d958d2c22f1317960e5.jpeg\",\"datePublished\":\"2023-07-12T04:03:42+00:00\",\"dateModified\":\"2025-03-19T20:09:30+00:00\",\"breadcrumb\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/novanews.co.za\\\/tygerburger\\\/hero-climbs-towering-tree-to-rescue-kitten-in-bellville-cape-town-20230712\\\/#breadcrumb\"},\"inLanguage\":\"en-ZA\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"ReadAction\",\"target\":[\"https:\\\/\\\/novanews.co.za\\\/tygerburger\\\/hero-climbs-towering-tree-to-rescue-kitten-in-bellville-cape-town-20230712\\\/\"]}]},{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-ZA\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/novanews.co.za\\\/tygerburger\\\/hero-climbs-towering-tree-to-rescue-kitten-in-bellville-cape-town-20230712\\\/#primaryimage\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/novanews.co.za\\\/tygerburger\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2025\\\/03\\\/f88bb235c81e4d958d2c22f1317960e5.jpeg\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\\\/\\\/novanews.co.za\\\/tygerburger\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2025\\\/03\\\/f88bb235c81e4d958d2c22f1317960e5.jpeg\",\"width\":1080,\"height\":1080,\"caption\":\"The 25 m-high tree Mbele had to climb up to save the kitten that was stuck on top overnight.\"},{\"@type\":\"BreadcrumbList\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/novanews.co.za\\\/tygerburger\\\/hero-climbs-towering-tree-to-rescue-kitten-in-bellville-cape-town-20230712\\\/#breadcrumb\",\"itemListElement\":[{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":1,\"name\":\"Home\",\"item\":\"https:\\\/\\\/novanews.co.za\\\/tygerburger\\\/\"},{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":2,\"name\":\"News\",\"item\":\"https:\\\/\\\/novanews.co.za\\\/tygerburger\\\/news\\\/\"},{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":3,\"name\":\"Hero climbs towering tree to rescue kitten in Bellville, Cape Town\"}]},{\"@type\":\"WebSite\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/novanews.co.za\\\/tygerburger\\\/#website\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/novanews.co.za\\\/tygerburger\\\/\",\"name\":\"TygerBurger\",\"description\":\"To Inform, Engage and Empower Local Communities\",\"publisher\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/novanews.co.za\\\/tygerburger\\\/#organization\"},\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"SearchAction\",\"target\":{\"@type\":\"EntryPoint\",\"urlTemplate\":\"https:\\\/\\\/novanews.co.za\\\/tygerburger\\\/?s={search_term_string}\"},\"query-input\":{\"@type\":\"PropertyValueSpecification\",\"valueRequired\":true,\"valueName\":\"search_term_string\"}}],\"inLanguage\":\"en-ZA\"},{\"@type\":\"Organization\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/novanews.co.za\\\/tygerburger\\\/#organization\",\"name\":\"TygerBurger\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/novanews.co.za\\\/tygerburger\\\/\",\"logo\":{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-ZA\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/novanews.co.za\\\/tygerburger\\\/#\\\/schema\\\/logo\\\/image\\\/\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/novanews.co.za\\\/tygerburger\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2025\\\/03\\\/tyger-burger-site-icon.png\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\\\/\\\/novanews.co.za\\\/tygerburger\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2025\\\/03\\\/tyger-burger-site-icon.png\",\"width\":512,\"height\":512,\"caption\":\"TygerBurger\"},\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/novanews.co.za\\\/tygerburger\\\/#\\\/schema\\\/logo\\\/image\\\/\"},\"sameAs\":[\"https:\\\/\\\/www.facebook.com\\\/TygerBurger\\\/\",\"https:\\\/\\\/x.com\\\/tygerburger\",\"https:\\\/\\\/www.instagram.com\\\/tygerburger\\\/\",\"https:\\\/\\\/www.youtube.com\\\/@TygerBurger-SA\"],\"description\":\"Tygerburger has been a staple in the northern suburbs of Cape Town for many years, providing readers with timely and relevant local news. TygerBurger is a free weekly community newspaper distributed in the northern suburbs of Cape Town, serving areas including Bellville, Durbanville, Parow, Kuils River, Brackenfell, Kraaifontein, Goodwood, Milnerton, Table View, Tyger Valley, De Grendel, Mitchells Plain, Eerste River, Elsies River, and Ravensmead.\",\"email\":\"tygerburger@novusmedia.co.za\",\"telephone\":\"+27219106500\",\"legalName\":\"Novus Media (Pty) Ltd\",\"foundingDate\":\"2025-01-01\",\"vatID\":\"4100318916\",\"taxID\":\"2000\\\/018234\\\/07\",\"numberOfEmployees\":{\"@type\":\"QuantitativeValue\",\"minValue\":\"51\",\"maxValue\":\"200\"}},{\"@type\":\"Person\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/novanews.co.za\\\/tygerburger\\\/#\\\/schema\\\/person\\\/0f71e348ba4b9942416d90370345e952\",\"name\":\"TygerBurger\",\"image\":{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-ZA\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/secure.gravatar.com\\\/avatar\\\/ae2ee35b60e108b154991fcbdb6e9114c9fa89c1b3386c09fa6f9b73c43dd5af?s=96&d=mm&r=g\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/secure.gravatar.com\\\/avatar\\\/ae2ee35b60e108b154991fcbdb6e9114c9fa89c1b3386c09fa6f9b73c43dd5af?s=96&d=mm&r=g\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\\\/\\\/secure.gravatar.com\\\/avatar\\\/ae2ee35b60e108b154991fcbdb6e9114c9fa89c1b3386c09fa6f9b73c43dd5af?s=96&d=mm&r=g\",\"caption\":\"TygerBurger\"},\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/novanews.co.za\\\/tygerburger\\\/author\\\/tygerburger\\\/\"}]}<\/script>\n<!-- \/ Yoast SEO Premium plugin. -->","yoast_head_json":{"title":"Hero climbs towering tree to rescue kitten in Bellville, Cape Town | TygerBurger","robots":{"index":"index","follow":"follow","max-snippet":"max-snippet:-1","max-image-preview":"max-image-preview:large","max-video-preview":"max-video-preview:-1"},"canonical":"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/tygerburger\/hero-climbs-towering-tree-to-rescue-kitten-in-bellville-cape-town-20230712\/","og_locale":"en_US","og_type":"article","og_title":"Hero climbs towering tree to rescue kitten in Bellville, Cape Town","og_description":"With his bare feet, a trainee inspector from the Cape of Good Hope SPCA last week fearlessly climbed up to the top of a 25 metre tall, giant of a tree in Belgravia to rescue a kitten.","og_url":"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/tygerburger\/hero-climbs-towering-tree-to-rescue-kitten-in-bellville-cape-town-20230712\/","og_site_name":"TygerBurger","article_publisher":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/TygerBurger\/","article_published_time":"2023-07-12T04:03:42+00:00","article_modified_time":"2025-03-19T20:09:30+00:00","og_image":[{"width":1080,"height":1080,"url":"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/tygerburger\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/f88bb235c81e4d958d2c22f1317960e5.jpeg","type":"image\/jpeg"}],"author":"Desir\u00e9e Rorke (@Dezzierorke)","twitter_card":"summary_large_image","twitter_creator":"@tygerburger","twitter_site":"@tygerburger","twitter_misc":{"Written by":"TygerBurger","Est. reading time":"2 minutes"},"schema":{"@context":"https:\/\/schema.org","@graph":[{"@type":"Article","@id":"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/tygerburger\/hero-climbs-towering-tree-to-rescue-kitten-in-bellville-cape-town-20230712\/#article","isPartOf":{"@id":"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/tygerburger\/hero-climbs-towering-tree-to-rescue-kitten-in-bellville-cape-town-20230712\/"},"author":{"name":"TygerBurger","@id":"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/tygerburger\/#\/schema\/person\/0f71e348ba4b9942416d90370345e952"},"headline":"Hero climbs towering tree to rescue kitten in Bellville, Cape Town","datePublished":"2023-07-12T04:03:42+00:00","dateModified":"2025-03-19T20:09:30+00:00","mainEntityOfPage":{"@id":"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/tygerburger\/hero-climbs-towering-tree-to-rescue-kitten-in-bellville-cape-town-20230712\/"},"wordCount":318,"commentCount":0,"publisher":{"@id":"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/tygerburger\/#organization"},"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/tygerburger\/hero-climbs-towering-tree-to-rescue-kitten-in-bellville-cape-town-20230712\/#primaryimage"},"thumbnailUrl":"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/tygerburger\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/f88bb235c81e4d958d2c22f1317960e5.jpeg","articleSection":["News"],"inLanguage":"en-ZA","potentialAction":[{"@type":"CommentAction","name":"Comment","target":["https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/tygerburger\/hero-climbs-towering-tree-to-rescue-kitten-in-bellville-cape-town-20230712\/#respond"]}],"copyrightYear":"2023","copyrightHolder":{"@id":"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/tygerburger\/#organization"}},{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/tygerburger\/hero-climbs-towering-tree-to-rescue-kitten-in-bellville-cape-town-20230712\/","url":"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/tygerburger\/hero-climbs-towering-tree-to-rescue-kitten-in-bellville-cape-town-20230712\/","name":"Hero climbs towering tree to rescue kitten in Bellville, Cape Town | TygerBurger","isPartOf":{"@id":"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/tygerburger\/#website"},"primaryImageOfPage":{"@id":"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/tygerburger\/hero-climbs-towering-tree-to-rescue-kitten-in-bellville-cape-town-20230712\/#primaryimage"},"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/tygerburger\/hero-climbs-towering-tree-to-rescue-kitten-in-bellville-cape-town-20230712\/#primaryimage"},"thumbnailUrl":"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/tygerburger\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/f88bb235c81e4d958d2c22f1317960e5.jpeg","datePublished":"2023-07-12T04:03:42+00:00","dateModified":"2025-03-19T20:09:30+00:00","breadcrumb":{"@id":"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/tygerburger\/hero-climbs-towering-tree-to-rescue-kitten-in-bellville-cape-town-20230712\/#breadcrumb"},"inLanguage":"en-ZA","potentialAction":[{"@type":"ReadAction","target":["https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/tygerburger\/hero-climbs-towering-tree-to-rescue-kitten-in-bellville-cape-town-20230712\/"]}]},{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-ZA","@id":"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/tygerburger\/hero-climbs-towering-tree-to-rescue-kitten-in-bellville-cape-town-20230712\/#primaryimage","url":"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/tygerburger\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/f88bb235c81e4d958d2c22f1317960e5.jpeg","contentUrl":"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/tygerburger\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/f88bb235c81e4d958d2c22f1317960e5.jpeg","width":1080,"height":1080,"caption":"The 25 m-high tree Mbele had to climb up to save the kitten that was stuck on top overnight."},{"@type":"BreadcrumbList","@id":"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/tygerburger\/hero-climbs-towering-tree-to-rescue-kitten-in-bellville-cape-town-20230712\/#breadcrumb","itemListElement":[{"@type":"ListItem","position":1,"name":"Home","item":"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/tygerburger\/"},{"@type":"ListItem","position":2,"name":"News","item":"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/tygerburger\/news\/"},{"@type":"ListItem","position":3,"name":"Hero climbs towering tree to rescue kitten in Bellville, Cape Town"}]},{"@type":"WebSite","@id":"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/tygerburger\/#website","url":"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/tygerburger\/","name":"TygerBurger","description":"To Inform, Engage and Empower Local Communities","publisher":{"@id":"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/tygerburger\/#organization"},"potentialAction":[{"@type":"SearchAction","target":{"@type":"EntryPoint","urlTemplate":"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/tygerburger\/?s={search_term_string}"},"query-input":{"@type":"PropertyValueSpecification","valueRequired":true,"valueName":"search_term_string"}}],"inLanguage":"en-ZA"},{"@type":"Organization","@id":"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/tygerburger\/#organization","name":"TygerBurger","url":"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/tygerburger\/","logo":{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-ZA","@id":"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/tygerburger\/#\/schema\/logo\/image\/","url":"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/tygerburger\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/tyger-burger-site-icon.png","contentUrl":"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/tygerburger\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/tyger-burger-site-icon.png","width":512,"height":512,"caption":"TygerBurger"},"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/tygerburger\/#\/schema\/logo\/image\/"},"sameAs":["https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/TygerBurger\/","https:\/\/x.com\/tygerburger","https:\/\/www.instagram.com\/tygerburger\/","https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/@TygerBurger-SA"],"description":"Tygerburger has been a staple in the northern suburbs of Cape Town for many years, providing readers with timely and relevant local news. TygerBurger is a free weekly community newspaper distributed in the northern suburbs of Cape Town, serving areas including Bellville, Durbanville, Parow, Kuils River, Brackenfell, Kraaifontein, Goodwood, Milnerton, Table View, Tyger Valley, De Grendel, Mitchells Plain, Eerste River, Elsies River, and Ravensmead.","email":"tygerburger@novusmedia.co.za","telephone":"+27219106500","legalName":"Novus Media (Pty) Ltd","foundingDate":"2025-01-01","vatID":"4100318916","taxID":"2000\/018234\/07","numberOfEmployees":{"@type":"QuantitativeValue","minValue":"51","maxValue":"200"}},{"@type":"Person","@id":"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/tygerburger\/#\/schema\/person\/0f71e348ba4b9942416d90370345e952","name":"TygerBurger","image":{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-ZA","@id":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/ae2ee35b60e108b154991fcbdb6e9114c9fa89c1b3386c09fa6f9b73c43dd5af?s=96&d=mm&r=g","url":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/ae2ee35b60e108b154991fcbdb6e9114c9fa89c1b3386c09fa6f9b73c43dd5af?s=96&d=mm&r=g","contentUrl":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/ae2ee35b60e108b154991fcbdb6e9114c9fa89c1b3386c09fa6f9b73c43dd5af?s=96&d=mm&r=g","caption":"TygerBurger"},"url":"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/tygerburger\/author\/tygerburger\/"}]}},"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/tygerburger\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/f88bb235c81e4d958d2c22f1317960e5.jpeg","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack-related-posts":[{"id":319806,"url":"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/tygerburger\/cape-towns-storm-unleashes-a-hidden-animal-crisis-as-cape-of-good-hope-spca-expected-to-reach-100-animals\/","url_meta":{"origin":50413,"position":0},"title":"Cape Town&#8217;s storm unleashes animal crisis as Cape of Good Hope SPCA rescues 100 animals","author":"TygerBurger","date":"12 May 2026","format":false,"excerpt":"Storm related animal admissions are expected to exceed 100 animals as relentless rain, flooding, and cold conditions continue to batter Cape Town.","rel":"","context":"In &quot;News&quot;","block_context":{"text":"News","link":"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/tygerburger\/news\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"Mobile clinic operator Sonwabo Sithole immediately warmed up the two pigs.","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/novanews.co.za\/tygerburger\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/SPCA5-Copy_27842.jpeg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/novanews.co.za\/tygerburger\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/SPCA5-Copy_27842.jpeg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/novanews.co.za\/tygerburger\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/SPCA5-Copy_27842.jpeg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/novanews.co.za\/tygerburger\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/SPCA5-Copy_27842.jpeg?resize=700%2C400&ssl=1 2x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/novanews.co.za\/tygerburger\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/SPCA5-Copy_27842.jpeg?resize=1050%2C600&ssl=1 3x"},"classes":[]},{"id":43393,"url":"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/tygerburger\/watch-spca-inspectors-find-cats-in-deplorable-conditions-at-ruyterwacht-rescue-organisation-20241028\/","url_meta":{"origin":50413,"position":1},"title":"WATCH | SPCA inspectors find cats in &#8216;deplorable&#8217; conditions at Ruyterwacht \u2018rescue organisation&#8217;","author":"TygerBurger","date":"28 October 2024","format":false,"excerpt":"SPCA Cape of Good Hope Chief Inspector Jaco Pieterse and Inspector Lwazi Ntungele, acting on a warrant, discovered dozens of cats living in \u201cdeplorable\u201d conditions at a supposed rescue organisation in Ruyterwacht.","rel":"","context":"In &quot;News&quot;","block_context":{"text":"News","link":"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/tygerburger\/news\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/novanews.co.za\/tygerburger\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/125d7015dbcf4a3f9cfdd48d75d1dd0f.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/novanews.co.za\/tygerburger\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/125d7015dbcf4a3f9cfdd48d75d1dd0f.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/novanews.co.za\/tygerburger\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/125d7015dbcf4a3f9cfdd48d75d1dd0f.jpg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/novanews.co.za\/tygerburger\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/125d7015dbcf4a3f9cfdd48d75d1dd0f.jpg?resize=700%2C400&ssl=1 2x"},"classes":[]},{"id":322215,"url":"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/tygerburger\/spca-inspector-reflects-on-heartbreaking-dunoon-dog-rescue\/","url_meta":{"origin":50413,"position":2},"title":"SPCA inspector reflects on heartbreaking Dunoon dog rescue","author":"Keanan Harmse","date":"28 May 2026","format":false,"excerpt":"SPCA inspector Rudolph Philander reflects on a Dunoon dog rescue and a M5 roadside emergency where his team helped a convulsing learner.","rel":"","context":"In &quot;News&quot;","block_context":{"text":"News","link":"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/tygerburger\/news\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"Cape Town","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/novanews.co.za\/tygerburger\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/Cape-of-Good-Hope-SPCA-26.05.2026-24-Animals-Rescued-From-Dunoon-Backyard-Breeder-4-768x1024-1.jpeg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/novanews.co.za\/tygerburger\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/Cape-of-Good-Hope-SPCA-26.05.2026-24-Animals-Rescued-From-Dunoon-Backyard-Breeder-4-768x1024-1.jpeg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/novanews.co.za\/tygerburger\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/Cape-of-Good-Hope-SPCA-26.05.2026-24-Animals-Rescued-From-Dunoon-Backyard-Breeder-4-768x1024-1.jpeg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/novanews.co.za\/tygerburger\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/Cape-of-Good-Hope-SPCA-26.05.2026-24-Animals-Rescued-From-Dunoon-Backyard-Breeder-4-768x1024-1.jpeg?resize=700%2C400&ssl=1 2x"},"classes":[]},{"id":322064,"url":"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/tygerburger\/spca-rescues-convulsing-school-child-after-animal-operation-in-dunoon\/","url_meta":{"origin":50413,"position":3},"title":"SPCA rescues convulsing schoolchild after animal operation in Dunoon","author":"Keanan Harmse","date":"27 May 2026","format":false,"excerpt":"Spca inspectors rescued 24 dogs in Dunoon and later assisted a convulsing school child on the m5 southbound in a remarkable day of action.","rel":"","context":"In &quot;News&quot;","block_context":{"text":"News","link":"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/tygerburger\/news\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"Cape Town","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/novanews.co.za\/tygerburger\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/Cape-of-Good-Hope-SPCA-26.05.2026-24-animals-rescued-from-Backyard-Breeder-10.jpeg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/novanews.co.za\/tygerburger\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/Cape-of-Good-Hope-SPCA-26.05.2026-24-animals-rescued-from-Backyard-Breeder-10.jpeg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/novanews.co.za\/tygerburger\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/Cape-of-Good-Hope-SPCA-26.05.2026-24-animals-rescued-from-Backyard-Breeder-10.jpeg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/novanews.co.za\/tygerburger\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/Cape-of-Good-Hope-SPCA-26.05.2026-24-animals-rescued-from-Backyard-Breeder-10.jpeg?resize=700%2C400&ssl=1 2x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/novanews.co.za\/tygerburger\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/Cape-of-Good-Hope-SPCA-26.05.2026-24-animals-rescued-from-Backyard-Breeder-10.jpeg?resize=1050%2C600&ssl=1 3x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/novanews.co.za\/tygerburger\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/Cape-of-Good-Hope-SPCA-26.05.2026-24-animals-rescued-from-Backyard-Breeder-10.jpeg?resize=1400%2C800&ssl=1 4x"},"classes":[]},{"id":57816,"url":"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/tygerburger\/video-rooikat-found-in-kenridge-kitchen-20170927\/","url_meta":{"origin":50413,"position":4},"title":"VIDEO: Rooikat found in Kenridge kitchen","author":"TygerBurger","date":"27 September 2017","format":false,"excerpt":"\u201cIt was a real challenge for our inspector who had to employ the use of a bird net and some ingenuity coupled with a lot of experience in handling wild animals,\u201d says Belinda Abraham, SPCA spokesperson.","rel":"","context":"In &quot;News&quot;","block_context":{"text":"News","link":"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/tygerburger\/news\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/novanews.co.za\/tygerburger\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/498b619de9c44a9f9741a3e27606ce77.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/novanews.co.za\/tygerburger\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/498b619de9c44a9f9741a3e27606ce77.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/novanews.co.za\/tygerburger\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/498b619de9c44a9f9741a3e27606ce77.jpg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/novanews.co.za\/tygerburger\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/498b619de9c44a9f9741a3e27606ce77.jpg?resize=700%2C400&ssl=1 2x"},"classes":[]},{"id":43322,"url":"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/tygerburger\/spca-inspectors-attacked-while-rescuing-dogs-in-delft-20241030\/","url_meta":{"origin":50413,"position":5},"title":"SPCA inspectors attacked while rescuing dogs in Delft","author":"TygerBurger","date":"30 October 2024","format":false,"excerpt":"Two people were arrested in Delft after assaulting SPCA inspectors and law enforcement officers trying to rescue dogs living in cruel conditions.","rel":"","context":"In &quot;News&quot;","block_context":{"text":"News","link":"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/tygerburger\/news\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/novanews.co.za\/tygerburger\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/f009d78bd67343ad90c3655addd860e9.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/novanews.co.za\/tygerburger\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/f009d78bd67343ad90c3655addd860e9.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/novanews.co.za\/tygerburger\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/f009d78bd67343ad90c3655addd860e9.jpg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/novanews.co.za\/tygerburger\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/f009d78bd67343ad90c3655addd860e9.jpg?resize=700%2C400&ssl=1 2x"},"classes":[]}],"distributor_meta":false,"distributor_terms":false,"distributor_media":false,"distributor_original_site_name":"TygerBurger","distributor_original_site_url":"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/tygerburger","push-errors":false,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/tygerburger\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/50413","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/tygerburger\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/tygerburger\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/tygerburger\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/20"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/tygerburger\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=50413"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/tygerburger\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/50413\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/tygerburger\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/50415"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/tygerburger\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=50413"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/tygerburger\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=50413"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/tygerburger\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=50413"},{"taxonomy":"newspack_spnsrs_tax","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/tygerburger\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/newspack_spnsrs_tax?post=50413"},{"taxonomy":"publication","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/tygerburger\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/publication?post=50413"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}