Farmer's sheepish rescue

Eric Palmer with one of the rescued lambs

Two newborn lambs were rescued in Devon after falling down a disused badger set.

A rescue dig was carried out to save the two animals in a field at a farm near Kingsbridge in the South Hams, south Devon, on Tuesday afternoon.

Farmers and local people were involved in the rescue, which was started after two ewes were spotted standing guard over the set.

Both lambs were retrieved and found to be healthy and unharmed.

Mr Palmer went into the hole to help the animals

Farmer Eric Palmer tried to call in a digger, but none were available. So, with his neighbours, began a rescue dig.

At one stage, Mr Palmer went head-first into the hole to attempt to reassure the animals by making bleating noises.

As the afternoon drew on, the urgency around the rescue increased.

Because the lambs were new-borns, it was possible they might not have survived the night.

The lambs were eventually brought back to the surface one at a time.

The first lamb was retrieved in the first attempt to grab it.

However, the badger set was found to have extensive tunnels and the second lamb was further down.

'Job done'

Four attempts to grab it failed, but it was retrieved on the fifth attempt.

After the rescue, Mr Palmer said: "That's a big result that one.

"Hopefully they'll get on with mummy again and that's it. Job done.

"Hopefully we won't see any more down here."

As the ewes heard their calls, there was a reunion between mothers and babies.