A quick rest in a tree became a fight for survival for an Indian kite, a type of bird, who became helplessly trapped in deadly manja—the sharp, illegal kite string that has injured or killed countless birds and more than a few humans and other animals across India.

One of Animal Rahat’s scouts arrived on the scene minutes after the call came in from someone who had spotted the struggling bird, but she was stuck so high up among the branches that the tallest pole couldn’t reach her! The scout quickly arranged for a crane to come to the site and was soon able to get to the frightened bird.

The moment her rescuer snipped the last string from her wing, the kite took flight high into the sky, freed from her ordeal.