This past May, employees at the Honister Slate Mine in Cumbria, England, stopped short when they noticed an animal perched precariously on the rocky mountain ledge above their heads. Worried for the animal’s safety, and concerned she might topple rocks onto the pedestrians below, the workers contacted the Cockermouth Mountain Rescue Team for help.
Rescuers Andrew McNeil, Mike Park and Tom Durcan quickly headed to the scene. When they arrived, they spotted the animal — a large Herdwick sheep — on the precipice.
Herdwick sheep are common around this mountainous area. According to the BBC, the iconic local animals are known for their distinctive coats and their “smiley” personalities.
Somehow, on her journey up the ridge, the sheep had landed in a tricky spot. Team members puzzled through their options and hastily hatched a plan.
“We had to rock climb from below to above the sheep, build an anchor, and lower a team member down to the animal from there,” a rescue team representative told The Dodo. “This sheep was particularly energetic, which did make the grabbing a bit more challenging than usual.”
Eventually, team members secured the sheep and rappelled her down off the ledge. Back on solid ground, they gave the animal a quick health check and released her back into the wild.
“She trotted off to eat grass as if nothing had happened,” the representative said.
Clearly, the sheep was ready to relax. The rescuers, satisfied after a job well done, could finally relax, too.
Source link
