4 ANNUAL REVIEW 2022
RESCUE AND PROTECT
Sheep in dramatic cliff-edge rescue
Strength, skill and teamwork
saved the day for a ewe in
peril on a Devon cliff face.
When the sheep fell over a cliff
edge, possibly after being chased
by a dog, she landed on a ledge
above the sea and got stuck. The
farmer called us and an RSPCA
rope rescue team went into action.
Working in extremely windy
conditions, rescuers abseiled
down to the panicked sheep, where
they tried to calm her. "She was
hopelessly stranded and we had
to be careful not to scare her in
case she fell further," says Chief
Inspector Richard Abbott.
After several hours, the team
managed to push her a little way
up the cliff and waited to see if she
could scramble to safety on her
own. But she couldn't manage it, so
Chief Inspector Suzy Hannaby and
Inspector Joanna Pearson edged
closer until Suzy eventually caught
the ewe in her arms. From there,
Suzy and Joanna walked her back
up over the edge and to safety.
Thankfully, the ewe was unhurt
and could be returned back to her
flock straight away.
Rescue and protect
On call for animals
We're called out to rescue animals in trouble about
600 times every single day. Every rescue is
different, but often our rescuers need to
call on their unique blend of specialist
training and equipment along with
determination, ingenuity, nerves
of steel - and of course
endless patience and
compassion. Here
are just some of
2022's standout
rescues.
"She was hopelessly stranded
and we had to be careful not
to scare her in case she
fell further."