A baby lamb and a fox
By Judy Evans
@JudyEv (323662)
Rockingham, Australia
July 7, 2019 8:48pm CST
When we were attending a horse endurance ride on the weekend, we drove through some paddocks looking for a good spot from which to take photos. At one place, we saw a baby lamb lying with a rock at his back. It was obvious he was brand new although his mother had cleaned him up. In case this is confusing, when a baby animal is born, the mother nibbles off the birth membranes and licks the baby clean.
I was concerned that there were no ewes with cooee (meaning none within sight). I wasn’t about to leave the lamb there so I picked him up and walked over the hill looking for any sheep. The umbilical cord was still wet and bloody so he was very young. We did see two ewes but they both had bigger lambs. We took the lamb on to a farm house which was quite close.
The guy there was happy to take him off our hands. He said, because it had been so wet and cold and there was little green feed, many ewes were abandoning their lambs. As he already had one pet, he was happy to have another so it was a good ending. We were especially pleased when, in the same area next day, we saw a fox crossing the paddock. We were a good way from him but the photo has turned out quite good while despite the distance. And he seems to have all four feet off the ground.
21 people like this
19 responses
@FourWalls (61308)
• United States
8 Jul 19
That's so sad that the ewes are leaving their newborns. I guess that's the "survival of the fittest" they talk about. It's still disheartening.
3 people like this
@JudyEv (323662)
• Rockingham, Australia
8 Jul 19
If they were my ewes, I'd be checking on them through the day and picking up any that were abandoned. But lots of farmers don't believe it's worth the trouble of bottle-feeding. It would fall to the wife who, these days, could easily be working full-time as well.
2 people like this
@snowy22315 (168368)
• United States
8 Jul 19
It's a good thing he didn't find the lamb..there would have been one happy fox, and one unhappy lamb! It reminds me of my son, when he was at camp and they were picking up trash along the road, a pig and a puppy followed them all the way back to camp... He thought it was adorable.
2 people like this
@DaddyEvil (137251)
• United States
9 Jul 19
Hmmm... we're always told to leave baby animals we find alone. Supposedly, the mother will be back after we leave and take care of her baby. I tend not to check back on babies we found like that as I don't want to find bones and realize we left it there to die.
Nice picture of the fox!
1 person likes this
@DaddyEvil (137251)
• United States
9 Jul 19
@JudyEv Yeah, I grew up on a working farm, too. I'm glad it worked out for the lamb you guys found, Judy.
1 person likes this
@JudyEv (323662)
• Rockingham, Australia
9 Jul 19
@DaddyEvil We didn't just go bowling in and take it. I'm glad it worked out too.
1 person likes this
@DeborahDiane (39965)
• Laguna Woods, California
8 Jul 19
@JudyEv - I am so glad you saved the baby lamb! It sounds like it could not have survived long on its own.
1 person likes this
@DeborahDiane (39965)
• Laguna Woods, California
8 Jul 19
@JudyEv - I hope it is OK now, too, poor little thing.
1 person likes this
@JudyEv (323662)
• Rockingham, Australia
9 Jul 19
@DeborahDiane The farmer seemed really nice. He was holding it nicely and stroking it. The fact that he already had one was reassuring too.
1 person likes this
@changjiangzhibin89 (16497)
• China
8 Jul 19
You did a good deed !The ewes actually left the baby lamb on its own owing to lack of green feed ,where there are foxes ranging over.
1 person likes this
@crazyhorseladycx (39517)
• United States
8 Jul 19
so glad y'all saw the lamb 'n took 't 'pon yerselves to make certain 'twas unharmed. very sad thingies're that bad there , where's the ewe's 're leavin' their babes.
great shot 'f the fox (i'm still waitin' to gimme one 'f those, most oft too dark), no doubt lookin' fer easy prey?
1 person likes this
@crazyhorseladycx (39517)
• United States
9 Jul 19
@JudyEv yes ma'am, no doubt 'd found such easy pickin's :( so glad ya saved that one lil soul!
1 person likes this
@DocAndersen (54413)
• United States
8 Jul 19
It is good to know someone cared - good on you for making the effort!
1 person likes this
@JudyEv (323662)
• Rockingham, Australia
9 Jul 19
@DocAndersen Thank you very much. That's very kind.
@DocAndersen (54413)
• United States
9 Jul 19
@JudyEv The world is a better place with people like the two of you in it!
1 person likes this
@wolfgirl569 (93502)
• Marion, Ohio
8 Jul 19
Glad you found him before the fox did.
1 person likes this
@andriaperry (116876)
• Anniston, Alabama
8 Jul 19
Awww, that was awesome of you to take care of that baby.
Awesome photo. I can tell all 4 are off the ground.
1 person likes this
@JohnRoberts (109865)
• Los Angeles, California
8 Jul 19
Lucky there were no hounds.
1 person likes this
@teamfreak16 (43451)
• Denver, Colorado
8 Jul 19
I saw a cool video on Facebook a couple days ago. A guy was laying down in a park reading a book and a fox came over to him and started nibbling his shoes and let the guy pet him. Neat.
1 person likes this
@JudyEv (323662)
• Rockingham, Australia
8 Jul 19
I would have taken him home if I'd had to. I've raised pet lambs before.