Fiona, a sheep that became a symbol of loneliness in Britain, ended up on a remote rocky beach at Cromarty Firth in Scotland after straying from her flock. She spent at least two years in complete solitude, growing wool and trying to call for help. Despite being spotted several times, it was only now that the animal was successfully rescued from the cliffs. Animal welfare advocates refused to help, and a group of local farmers, led by a journalist, had to rescue Fiona on their own.
Ran to people
The commotion was raised by local resident Jillian Turner, who first spotted the sheep two years ago while kayaking along the Sutherland coast. At that time, she said, she sincerely hoped the animal would be able to find its way home on its own. However, recently, deciding to repeat the route, Turner was horrified to find the sheep in the same spot — on a narrow rocky strip at the foot of the cliffs. The only difference was that during this time the sheep had become covered in a huge amount of matted dirty wool, hanging down to the ground.
In both encounters, as Turner recalls, the sheep, upon seeing the group in kayaks, began to call out to people. It ran along the beach, following them and “calling” to them, jumping from rock to rock as long as it could. Then, “looking defeated,” it would return back.
“The poor sheep had been left to fend for itself for at least two years. For a herd animal, this is a real torture, and it seemed to be desperately trying to connect with us in those two instances when we passed by,” Jillian said.
Help from an unexpected source
It was a heartbreaking sight, she added, when the British encountered the lonely animal again and understood everything. After that, the woman tried to organize help, reaching out to various animal welfare organizations and a rescue team, but to no avail. Everyone was sympathetic to the situation, but the rescuers could not act without a signal from an emergency service, such as the police. The Scottish Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals was already aware of the sheep but deemed it not to be in danger, so they did not attempt a rescue.
Ultimately, the rescue operation was organized by the host of a Scottish television program dedicated to rural issues. Cammie Wilson saw a media report about the poor lonely sheep, gathered a team of local farmers, and they arrived at the cliffs with special equipment for the lift. Five men with heavy gear were able to free Fiona from her “prison” up an incredibly steep slope.
According to the rescuers, the sheep was in very poor condition. She will now be sent to a farm park where she will be groomed and provided with proper care.
