By Chris R.
In late May we received a call from a local vet who had been given a young lamb.
A truck driver on his way from Geraldton had spotted a ewe knocked down by a car. Fences are poor
in many rural areas so this is not an uncommon sight. Fortunately
this time, the driver noticed a tiny movement. Stopping his truck he
spied a small, cold lamb, hiding against her dead mother’s body. Scooping the
tiny bundle into the cab, the young lamb, now named Eleanor, was on the road to Perth.
Reaching Midland, Eleanor was dropped at the vet. She was
dehydrated, cold and hungry. After IV fluids and overnight TLC with a
kind vet nurse, she was collected and made her way to the Valley.
Eleanor had a persistent cough upon arrival. Her first
night was restless and she was reluctant to take milk, preferring to eat the
straw provided as bedding in her new pen. The following day she took a
trip to see the Farm Animal Vets at Murdoch. Diagnosed with a slight
upper respiratory infection, she was given a good report and came home to rest
in front the fire with a jumper on and her now favourite sheep teddy by her
side.
Eleanor is one of the quietest lambs we’ve welcomed to the
Sanctuary. This was concerning at first for fear she was unwell or
frightened. Tail wagging and jumping demonstrated that her quietness was
her character and soon she was keen to help with our ‘Reading With Sheep’
segment on Facebook and play with her older foster siblings, April and Peter
lambs.
We look forward to Eleanor joining the teen lambs as she
grows, but in the meantime, she’s enjoying her first winter inside by the fire,
warm and cosy with her lamb friends.
