Photo of five people posing next to a sheep

Fiona with her rescuers

The Sheep Game

The Great Sheep Rescue

Jim McMahon/Mapman®

Fiona the sheep had nowhere to go. She was trapped, with the sea on one side and a rocky slope on the other. Fiona lived all alone at the bottom of a cliff on the eastern coast of Scotland. But that changed last November, when five local farmers came to her rescue.

A woman in a small boat first spotted Fiona in 2021. Two years later, the same woman was astonished to see that Fiona was still trapped in the area. 

Fiona’s story quickly spread online. She became known as the “loneliest sheep in Great Britain.” People wanted someone to rescue her. But the Coast Guard said saving her would be too risky. Even though it was dangerous, the five farmers decided to give it a try.

Three of the farmers used ropes to climb down to the base of the cliff. There they found Fiona inside a cave. 

The farmers wrapped Fiona in a tarp attached to a rope. It was connected to an all-terrain vehicle (ATV) at the top of the cliff. As the ATV backed up, Fiona was safely hoisted up the slope to the top. 

Today, Fiona is no longer alone. She lives on a farm with other sheep to keep her company.

The Sheep Game

Fiona got a haircut after her rescue.

1. Why did Fiona get the nickname “the loneliest sheep in Great Britain”?

2. What do you think made the rescue dangerous?

3. How has Fiona’s life changed since she was rescued, according to the article?

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