Rescue teams pluck lamb to safety

Rescue teams were required to help a stricken lamb to safety after it became trapped in a gully near to the Butt of Lewis lighthouse.

The incident, the second of its kind to occur in the Western Isles during lockdown, demanded the attention of the Scottish Society for Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (SSPCA) and the Hebrides Mountain Rescue Team.

The lamb had fallen from the cliffs and become stuck in a precarious position last Saturday.

A member of the public raised the alarm.

The rescue follows a similar incident in North Tolsta last month where a lamb was also rescued by the teams.

“We were able to reunite it with its mother afterwards”

Scottish SPCA auxiliary inspector Maggie Adkins said: “The lamb had become trapped as there were no footholds it could use to escape from the gully and it was cut off by the sea.

“Thankfully the lamb was unharmed and we were able to reunite it with its mother shortly afterwards.

“I’m very grateful to Hebrides Mountain Rescue Team once again, especially at this difficult time with increased restrictions due to lockdown.

“Their continued support and assistance is greatly appreciated.

“Without them, I would not have been able to rescue the stranded lamb.”

Charlie Greenwood, Hebrides Mountain Rescue Team leader, said the rescue was “reasonably straightforward” with the team always on hand to assist animals or people requiring assistance.