A stricken sheep who had been stuck on a rocky ledge on the Great Orme for two weeks was rescued by RSPCA Cymru as inclement weather rapidly approached. 

Footage shows specially trained officers from the animal welfare charity abseiling about 25 metres (82 feet) down the headland to try and reach the ewe, who was too nervous to move from her position.

The farmer had been monitoring his animal and lowering hay down to her via a rope for a fortnight, but he called the RSPCA for help after it became clear that the situation was not going to improve.

As the rain started to sweep in on Wednesday afternoon (February 16), the ewe was reunited with her flock, unharmed, after officers from the animal welfare charity managed to encourage her to leave the ledge and move further down the cliff to safety.  

RSPCA deputy chief inspector Vikki Taylor, who was one of the team involved in Wednesday’s incident, said: “The farmer told us that his ewe had looked like she was going to make her own way off - but instead of coming up, she just kept going further and further down, and once she got onto the ledge she couldn’t seem to pluck up the courage to come off it and get to safety.

“We approached very cautiously as sheep can panic easily and you never know how they are going to react or which way they are going to head, which then changes the whole dynamics of the rescue.

“We had to make sure she went in the right direction as the left side of the cliff cut away very sharply and had she got spooked or jumped she may have fallen onto the rocks and into the sea. 

“Luckily our presence gave her the nudge she needed to come off the ledge and move further down to safety. It was very fortunate that we were able to reach her when we did as the bad weather was just starting to come in and she would have been very vulnerable and exposed on the ledge by herself in the middle of a storm.”      

At the end of January RSPCA Animal Rescue Officer Dean Wilkins had saved a sheep by clinging onto her with one hand after she had jumped from a ledge during another RSPCA rescue mission on the Great Orme. The herdwick ewe later rejoined her flock uninjured.  

To help the RSPCA continue rescuing, rehabilitating and rehoming animals in desperate need of care please visit the RSPCA website or call the donation line on 0300 123 8181.