Hanging by a thread, pigeon gets a lifeline from Fire and Rescue Services

A routine Monday evening took an unexpected turn for the Malappuram Fire and Rescue Services team when a call for help led them to a pigeon hanging helplessly from the third floor of a building near the Passport Seva Kendra.

The pigeon’s leg had become entangled in a thread beneath the parapet of a bakery building, leaving it suspended in the air with no way to free itself. The bakery staff spotted the bird around 5 p.m. on October 12, 2026, but could not reach it. They alerted the Fire station at Munduparamba.

A team led by station officer M. Abdul Gafoor and senior fire and rescue officer M. Habeeb Rahman rushed to the spot. Fire and rescue officer Mohammad Shafeeq used a harness and rope to descend towards the trapped bird and bring it to safety. The team then carefully cut the thread around the pigeon’s leg, setting it free.

“Even a small life deserves help when it is in danger,” Mr. Gafoor said.

The rescue efforts called for care and a steady hand, as the bird was left hanging beneath the parapet, beyond the reach of those who first spotted it.

For the bakery staff who raised the alarm, the incident was a reminder that helping an animal in distress can begin with a simple act: making a call to those who can help.

For the Fire and Rescue Services team, it was another call where the task was not to put out a fire or respond to an accident, but to save a life, however small.