Eleanor Lamb – From Roadside to Fireside

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.