During one of his adventures through the streets of Fukuyama, Japan, a cat was unlucky enough to fall into a tank full of toxic chemicals.
This prompted the city government to issue a warning asking residents not to approach the animal and to call the police if they saw it.
The cat fell into a three-meter-deep tank that stores hexavalent chromium, a highly acidic and carcinogenic substance.
Officials in Fukuyama, Japan, have warned residents to avoid contact with a cat believed to have jumped into a vat of toxic chemicals. The cat was last seen leaving the Nomura Plating Fukuyama factory, with paw prints leading away from a vat of hexavalent chromium, a… pic.twitter.com/HQ23yBU6wx
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The employee reportedly arrived for work at the Nomura Plating Fukuyama factory in the city’s suburbs early Monday.
There he discovered strange footprints on the ground leading away from the tanks of this chemical that belonged to an animal.
The worker reported the case and it was discovered that a cat had entered the facility and fallen into the tanks.
A carcinogenic substance
The company said the tank was covered with fabric, but unfortunately the animal fell into the chemical.
“The incident highlighted to us the need to take action to prevent poaching of small animals such as cats, something we had never anticipated before,” a company spokesperson said.
Environmental authorities in Fukuyama said the cat may have died from poisoning.
Hexavalent chromium is a chemical used in electroplating processes and is considered a carcinogenic substance that causes inflammation when in contact with skin.
In addition, this component can cause difficulty breathing when inhaled.
Authorities said this chemical has a yellow or reddish-brown color, so the “poisonous” cat could have turned that shade as well.
The warning issued recommends not touching the cat even if it has a “normal appearance” as it poses a danger to humans.
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