Lamb-Police Incident # 3

Several uneventful days passed, each evening there were 21 alpacas and 4 surviving sheep.  Everyone was happy and the sun shone.

Then, it happened.  I arrived home from work, the evenings were long and bright, so I came home from work as normal at about 6pm, helped Jo to bath Ben and went out to 'do my rounds'.

I counted the alpacas (the rule I've developed with counting lots of animals is to count 3 times and take an average!  A small animal always seems to be hiding behind a bigger one, or behind a tree, or lying down in long grass etc.!), all present and correct.  I saw the ewe and her 2 lambs.  I walked further into the field, couldn't immediately see the remaining orphan lamb.  I walked all around the field.  I walked up the little brook to see that the lamb hadn't fallen in there.  No sign of the orphan lamb.  I walked the boundary, and of course found lots of potential weak points where a little lamb could squeeze through.  I walked around the OUTSIDE of the boundary and checked the surrounding fields, roads, woodland and scrub.  I jumped into the car and drove around the surrounding lanes - still nothing.  At this point it was actually starting to get dark.  I pulled back into the yard, got out of the car and decided it was time to call the EMERGENCY number!  I felt a bit embarrassed about calling Richard again so soon, so decided to call our neighbour Mike instead.

I called Mike, explained the situation, explained what I'd already done and where I'd looked.  He said he would get a torch and have a proper look in his fields (which border Tymawr-Farm) which have plenty of nooks and crannies which a lamb could get stuck in, and give me a call back.

In an hour or so he called back, no joy.  I hadn't had any of my own animals at this point, and had a vague idea that farm animals carried unique identification numbers, and that if one died, or became lost it may be necessary to inform DEFRA or someone.  This is quite a logical and sensible thought.  Mike would know the answer and tell me what I needed to do.   I decided to ask my question.  "Mike, should I tell the POLICE that I've lost a lamb?"  Immediately the words had come out of my mouth I regretted them, why had I said POLICE?  Why didn't I say DEFRA?  Why didn't I just say 'Is there anyone I should inform?'  To this day I don't know.  After a strange pause, Mike replied, a bit shakily at first whilst he composed himself "No Mark, you don't need to call the police.  Lambs are not classified as dangerous animals."

I politely thanked him for his help, he said he'd keep an eye out for my lamb, and I told him I'd do the same thing and let him know if it turned up.  I put down the 'phone, sat down at the kitchen table, Jo poured me a glass of wine, we looked at each other and wondered what Mike was thinking.  My guess was that he was thinking I was a townie, English, simpleton who thought that lambs were controlled and registered by the Police!

Roger was now into the 4th day of his 2 week holiday and I had managed to lose 40% of the Tymawr-farm flock!