An elderly female cat was found alive last week following a nearly 400-foot fall at a Utah national park that killed her owners, authorities said.
The bodies of Matthew Nannen, 45, and Bailee Crane, 58, were found April 29 in Bryce Canyon National Park, the Garfield County Sheriff’s Office said in a news release. Visitors spotted the bodies about 380 feet below the lookout spot.
Authorities believe Nannen and Crane fell off Inspiration Point on April 28 or April 29. A preliminary investigation has not been able to determine what caused them to fall, but the sheriff’s office said they had climbed over a railing between the trail and the cliff.
The sheriff’s office said it appears that the pair was living out of a U-Haul and traveled to Utah after spending a “significant amount of time” in Arizona. Their last known address was in Florida.
The cat was taken in by Best Friends Animal Sanctuary.
The sanctuary said in a news release that the 12-year-old cat, now named Mirage, was found in a soft-sided carrier that was covered in mud and dirt. The animal was “sore and matted” with fractured ribs when it arrived, but seems to be doing well.
“She’s eating and drinking on her own, and with steady attention from the veterinary team, she’s getting the care she needs. She’s expected to make a full recovery,” the sanctuary said.
Judah Battista, Best Friends’ chief sanctuary officer, said it’s “remarkable” that the cat survived the fall.
“She’s a very sweet girl and doing very well,” Battista said in a statement.
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