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The ewe’s neck and ft have been wrapped within the wire after it seems she turned caught in a niche between a brick wall and fence close to to the Halifax Ski and Snowboard Centre.
After receiving a name from a member of the general public, RSPCA Inspector Adam Dickinson and Animal Rescue Officer (ARO) James Metcalfe have been shortly on the scene on Wednesday, February 28, to help the unlucky farm animal.
The pair caught the sheep after which James used a chopping instrument to interrupt up the wire, a few of which had turn into embedded within the sheep’s pores and skin, whereas Adam held the animal protected.
While the RSPCA does refer incidents involving cattle to the Animal and Plant Health Agency (APHA), this sheep’s predicament was an emergency scenario to which the animal charity may lend its experience.
“The barbed wire was wrapped quite deeply around the poor sheep’s neck and needed specialist equipment to remove. James had some tools in his van and we were able to get to work,” stated RSPCA Inspector Dickinson.
“It took an hour to catch and cut the poor creature free and it proved to be quite an intricate operation as James had to cut around her wool to remove the wire.
“While she had some wounds to the back of her neck and toes, fortunately, they were superficial.
“It was quite an unusual position for her to get trapped in and it looks like she’s gone through a gap or fallen down an embankment and got stuck.”
After releasing the sheep, the inspectors handed on the small print of the rescue and the animal’s tag to APHA within the hope that the landowner accountable will come ahead.
The inspector added: “It was a rural location, however it’s not that far out of Halifax and there have been 30 or so different sheep round. There have been studies of fly tipping within the space and it appears like this roll of wire was fly tipped.
The RSPCA does advise farmers and landowners to place emergency contact numbers on fences and footpath gates in order that walkers who spot livestock trapped in fences could make contact with the farmer instantly.
