A 100kg ram named Rambo had to be rescued by firefighters after becoming tightly stuck inside a concrete drainage pipe in Somerset.
Devon and Somerset Fire and Rescue Service said firefighters from Somerton were called to the unusual incident on Sunday. It happened to be the station’s 200th callout of the year — and certainly one of its more memorable.
Rambo had managed to get far enough inside the pipe that he could no longer free himself.
With no specialist equipment designed specifically for rescuing sheep from tunnels, the crew had to improvise using items already carried on the fire engine.
Firefighters eventually freed the ram with the help of chimney rods, rope and a protective sheet placed beneath his body.
Bex Maynard, Rambo’s owner at Western Farm in Kingsdon, said the sheep came out of the pipe in a rather undignified fashion, but fortunately suffered no injuries.
Following the incident, Maynard placed metal grids over both ends of the tunnel. The barriers will still allow water to drain through while preventing Rambo — or any other curious sheep — from attempting another underground adventure.
Rambo Was Apparently Looking for Some Peace
Maynard also offered a humorous explanation for why the ram may have entered the pipe in the first place.
Rambo currently shares his surroundings with nine ewes that, according to Maynard, are all very interested in receiving his attention.
She joked that he may simply have been searching for somewhere quiet to escape his romantic responsibilities for a while.
“A chap is entitled to a little peace and quiet occasionally,” Maynard said.
She added that Rambo’s version of events was that he had been enjoying a deserved break while also carrying out his own inspection of the bridge from below.
Whatever his intentions, he appeared remarkably relaxed once the rescue was over.
Maynard said Rambo seemed considerably less worried about the ordeal than the people who had worked to free him.
Firefighters Had to Improvise
The fire service said the unusual circumstances forced the crew to come up with a creative rescue plan using the equipment available to them.
Firefighters first used chimney rods to guide a rope around Rambo’s body.
They then carefully positioned a hearth sheet underneath the trapped ram.
Once the rope and sheet were secured, the crew gently pulled the line, allowing Rambo to slide across the sheet and gradually move through the pipe toward the exit.
The technique worked, and the ram was successfully removed without injury.
After being freed, Rambo was returned to the care of the farmers.
The fire service said the rescue required the crew to “think outside the box,” turning everyday firefighting equipment into an improvised animal-rescue system.
For Rambo, meanwhile, the experience appears to have caused little lasting concern.
His tunnel has now been blocked off, however, meaning any future attempts to escape his nine enthusiastic companions will require a different hiding place.