A four-hour rescue mission was launched to save a lamb that fell down a drainpipe.
RSPCA animal collection officer Emily Welch was called to a field in Durham, on Sunday (May 3) to help the lamb.
She said: “There was a broken manhole cover on the farmland, which had been filled with tyres and wood. Somehow, the lamb had managed to get himself between this and has fallen down the manhole shaft and into the narrow drainage pipe 2ft below.
“The farmer noticed the lamb’s mum standing at the top of the hole looking lost and he couldn’t spot her baby. When he went to investigate he heard the lamb bleating from down the drain and contacted County Durham and Darlington Fire and Rescue Service.”
The fire and rescue crew contacted the RSPCA for help and Emily attended.
Emily added: “There was no way of reaching the little lamb in the pipe as it was too narrow so we had to dig down to him.
“Thankfully the farmer’s friend brought his digger and we started digging. We ended up having to dig four separate holes to different sections of the pipe before we could locate him 15m into the pipe and free him.
“He was very cold, a little shaken and quite stiff after his ordeal but, thankfully, he wasn’t injured so we cleaned him up and returned him to his mum who had been waiting nearby and keeping a very close eye on us!
