More than two years after she hit international headlines, Britain’s formerly loneliest sheep is set to become a mum of twins.
Fiona has lost weight after being put on a diet and hormones to help her conceive at her new home in Dumfries.
The ewe arrived at Dalscone Farm in Dumfries in November 2023 after being rescued by specialist climbing teams.
She somehow survived for over two years alone on a beach at the foot of an isolated cliff in north-west Scotland. But when she was plucked to safety, rescuers were shocked at how fat she was.
News of her pregnancy was kept secret because ‘she is the world’s most famous sheep’ and the attention could cause her unnecessary distress.
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However, Ben Best, the manager of Dalscone Farm, revealed on Christmas Day that Fiona is not only a shadow of her former self but is about to become a mother.
‘She’s doing really well,’ said Mr Best. ‘She is the world’s most famous sheep.’
After being paired with a ram, her weight shot up, before a scan confirmed not only that she was pregnant, but she was having twins.
She is having regular blood tests, and it is hoped she will give birth at the beginning of February.
Mr Best said Fiona’s body could take a lamb after losing all her excess weight and she had been ‘excited’ about becoming a mum for the first time.
‘Health-wise, she is doing great. She still has the arthritis in her front leg, but that’s something that will be there forever now; the weight loss has definitely helped that.
‘We’ve used her fleece this year to make bespoke tumble dryer balls and felted soap, which, along with the other fleeces at Dalscone, will be sold in our Christmas shop.’
In October 2023, a kayaker photographed her trapped at the foot of a steep cliff at the Cromarty Firth, two years after a previous sighting.
When Fiona was rescued, a JustGiving page raised more than four times its initial target of £2500 from hundreds of supporters.
Donations came from as far away as Australia, the USA and Canada, among other places.
Rescuers used a winch mounted on a truck parked at the top of the cliff, 200m of rope and a feed bag fashioned into a makeshift sling in what was described as an ‘epic’ mission.
The farmer on whose land Fiona was trapped had made previous attempts to retrieve her but was unable to do so without putting himself or his employees in danger.
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