Britain’s ‘loneliest sheep’ left stranded on a rock for two years is finally rescued
It was a daring rescue mission that took a lot of baa-very.
I'll see myself out.
But on a serious note, this story is so sweet that it'll have you baa-wling.
Okay, that's the last one.
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A group of blokes have rescued Britain's 'loneliest sheep' after it was stranded on the foot of some cliffs in the Scottish Highlands for over two years.
The Scottish Society for Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (SSPCA) had previously dubbed a rescue mission from the Cromarty Firth spot as 'incredibly complex'.
A hovercraft company had offered to help ferry the animal off the rocks due to concerns that the rocky terrain on the shore would make a dinghy or boat rescue practically impossible.
In the end, it took five farmers to haul the isolated ewe up to safety.
Since then, they've named the sheep 'Fiona' and have been sharing updates on Facebook.
"She is about a condition score of about 4.5, she is overfat - it was some job lifting her up that slope.
"She is going to a very special place that a lot of you know very well, where you'll be able to see her virtually every day.
"Britain's loneliest sheep is lonely no more."
Fiona had first been sighted by kayaker Jill Turner two years ago, and then again this year.
A rescue was initially decided against by the SSPCA as the sheep had enough food and water to get by.
But a petition calling for the animal charity to save Fiona prompted a change in position.
Earlier this week, SSPCA announced it would attempt to save Fiona.
Chief superintendent Mike Flynn said at the time: "The area where the sheep is stranded is very inaccessible by both land and sea, making this rescue incredibly complex, especially due to the logistics of rescuing a large animal."
In response to Saturday's (4 November) successful rescue, a SSPCA spokesperson said: "This morning the Scottish SPCA were in attendance at the hillside after they were made aware that a group of individuals with climbing expertise were attempting to rescue the stranded sheep by descending down to where she was trapped.
"This is not something that our own inspectorate have the experience or equipment to be able to do ourselves, so we were not involved in the rescue itself, but we did attend to ensure the welfare of the animal.
"The team brought the ewe up successfully and our inspector examined her. Thankfully the sheep is in good bodily condition, aside from needing to be sheared. She will now be taken to a specialist home within Scotland to rest and recover.
"We are delighted that the sheep, who the rescue group have named Fiona is safe and well, ready to start her new life.
"We’re very grateful to the team who rescued the sheep, although we must stress that they were only able to do so as they were experienced climbers. We would like to remind the public not to attempt any rescue that might endanger themselves, or an animal, during the process.
"Anyone who is concerned about an animal should call our helpline on 03000 999 999."
Ben Thompson