Sheep spends month trapped on ledge

This photo shows a lonesome sheep who has survived for a month after she became trapped on a tiny cliff ledge 100 feet above the North Sea just south of the lighthouse at Hawsker, near Whitby, North Yorkshire.

The sheep nicknamed Aretha by sympathetic locals after Aretha Franklin who sang the soul classic, Rescue me, - as no one is prepared to save her.

It is thought she stumbled off the edge of the field where other sheep graze and miraculously survived the sheer drop by landing on the precarious ledge. Unfortunately for Aretha no owner has come forward to claim her and organise a rescue bid.



The local coastguard and lifeboat association say animal rescue is voluntary. Juanita Degenaar first spotted the lonely sheep while working as a crew member of a cruise company who run trips across Whitby harbour.

She said: 'She seems quite happy throughout the day when I see her on my various trips past. We keep an eye on her and see her in different spots sometimes grazing, relaxing under a ledge like she is in photo, like a Queen looking over her kingdom.

'There are lots of sheep grazing. Maybe it slipped down or climbed down. I'm not sure if it can get back up. A spokesperson for the RSPCA said they were aware of Aretha's plight and have been looking for her since Friday but have been unable to locate her whereabouts.