Jan. 30 (UPI) — Wildlife officials in Colorado came to the rescue of a bighorn sheep that wandered out onto a frozen river and fell halfway through the ice.
Colorado Parks and Wildlife said personnel stationed in Gunnison learned Monday afternoon that a bighorn sheep was stuck in a hole in the ice on the Taylor River.
District Wildlife Managers Codi Prior and Clayton BonDurant arrived on the scene and found the ewe’s head and front legs were above the ice, with the backside of its body in the water.
“Prior first tried to slip a catch pole over the ewe’s head and body but couldn’t get it underneath her front legs,” CPW said on social media. “So, she switched plans and used a tow strap. Using the strap, BonDurant and Prior were able to muscle the ewe out of the icy river.”
The sheep was loaded onto a trailer and taken to a facility to warm up.
The ewe was reunited with the rest of her herd on Tuesday.
“She bolted out of the horse trailer in excellent health, a relief to our entire Gunnison area office staff,” officials wrote.