Two sheep stranded on a steep cliff in north Wales were rescued after a local farmer raised the alarm, prompting an unusual callout for mountain rescue volunteers.
Ogwen Valley Mountain Rescue Organisation said it was contacted by the farmer after he spotted the animals stuck on cliffs above his land and unable to move safely. A small team was sent to assess the situation and carry out the rescue.
In a tongue-in-cheek account shared later, the team said they had been alerted to “2 walkers (believed to be from Baaath) stuck on the cliffs by his farm”.
They added that the pair were “without mobile phones”, meaning rescuers were unable to pinpoint their exact location, describing it as “a bit wooly”.
Rescuers said the sheep were positioned on exposed ground where a direct approach could have caused them to panic. Instead, ropes were lowered and a rescuer was raised carefully towards them to guide them off the cliff.
“The youngest casualty did indeed jump some 2 metres into Jed's arms and it was shear luck they were caught,” the team said, adding that the second sheep stayed put and was brought to safety shortly afterwards.
Once back on safe ground, the animals wasted no time making their escape. “Once on safe ground they unbelievably ran away without even a thank ewe,” the rescue team added.
Ogwen Valley Mountain Rescue Organisation is a volunteer-run service that regularly responds to emergencies involving walkers and climbers in the Ogwen Valley, with this rescue standing out as one of the more unusual callouts it has handled.
