Fiona the 'Loneliest Sheep' Rescued from the Bottom of Scottish Cliff After 2 Years of Solitude
Five farmers rescued the sheep from the Scottish Highlands by using an all-terrain vehicle with a winch
Animal Rising
Britain's loneliest sheep named Fiona was rescued on Saturday after being stranded at the bottom of a cliff in Scotland for over two yearsAn animal described as the "loneliest sheep" in Britain has been rescued!
According to the BBC, the sheep — named Fiona — was rescued on Saturday after being stranded at the foot of a cliff in Scotland for over two years.
The outlet added that despite protests over Fiona being moved to a farm park, the sheep was taken to Dalscone Farm in Dumfries on Sunday and is in good condition.
"She has settled in absolutely brilliantly," farmer Ben Best of Dalscone Farm told the BBC. "She has been eating, drinking."
Last month, kayaker Jillian Turner saw Fiona, who was pictured with a large fleece, on the shores of Cromarty Firth in the Scottish Highlands. This occurred two years after the sheep was spotted at the same location.
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"About half a mile before turning into the Cromarty Firth, we spotted a sheep on a shingle beach at the bottom of some steep, rocky coastline," Turner, who contacted many organizations for help, told The Northern Times. "She saw us coming and was calling to us along the length of the beach, following our progress until she could go no further. She finally turned back, looking defeated."
Over 50,000 people signed a petition fighting for Fiona's rescue on Change.org. However, according to CBC Radio, Fiona's owner, the Coast Guard, and the Scottish Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (SPCA) hesitated over performing a rescue operation, believing Fiona's position was too dangerous to reach.
Despite this, a group of five farmers consisting of YouTuber Graeme Parker, James Parker, Cammy Wilson, Als Couzens, and Ally Williamson decided to devise a plan to rescue Fiona.
Sky News
Fiona the sheep pictured after her rescueRelated: Golden Retriever Survives 5 Months in Corn Fields After Escaping Grooming Session in Iowa
Wilson told Sky News that after discovering Fiona's story, he contacted her owner about a rescue. The individual informed Wilson that it would be a "risk to life" to get Fiona up the cliff. However, Wilson thought, 'What crazy people do I know that would come and take a little risk with me?'
According to CBC Radio, the five farmers used an all-terrain vehicle with a winch attached to it to lower themselves down the cliffside — a journey reportedly over 3781 feet — and bring them back up with the sheep.
"We weren't exactly sure what we were going to find when we got there. All we had to go on was drone footage," Parker said per CBC Radio.
"When we got down there, sure enough, Fiona was … right in the middle of the cave in a little patch of sunlight that's coming through a craggy hole in the ceiling of the cave."
Wilson revealed to Sky News that Fiona will live in a pen alone before she's slowly integrated with other animals. Despite the five's successful rescue efforts, not everyone is happy.
Animal Rising, an animal rights group, has argued that Fiona should be taken to a sanctuary instead of her current location. In a video shared on Facebook Saturday, the group shared their disappointment over Fiona ending up at a farm instead of a place where she can "live out the rest of her life in peace and security."
The group added on social media that it was planning its own rescue of Fiona after building trust with the sheep over a few days, but the farmers completed their rescue first.
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