During a massive wildfire in Saumos, in the Gironde region of France, which destroyed more than 100,000 acres (42,000 hectares) of forest, a fluffy young kitten faced a double tragedy. Left abandoned in a rubbish bin, as reported by French news site Actu.fr, the poor creature almost perished in the flames before being saved in the nick of time by a firefighter from Cadillac rescue station.
Love at first sight at the station
Moved by the little animal's sheer determination to survive, the firefighters of Bassens fire station instantly fell in love. With the green light from their superiors, they chose to officially adopt him, naming him Saumos as a tribute to the place where he was found.
Since the kitten has not been fully weaned yet, he was placed in the loving care of the local animal charity Les chats pitres de la presqu’île. As soon as he builds up his strength, he will move into the station, where nearly a hundred firefighters are eagerly waiting to welcome him.
A mascot already famous on social media
The miraculous story of this little survivor quickly touched many hearts online, after a post was shared on the fire station's Facebook page on 2 August.
At the request of social media users who fell in love with his journey, the team set up an Instagram account dedicated entirely to Saumos on 13 August, allowing fans to follow the adventures of their new mascot.
