Lamb almost starves to death after being locked in Mount Gambier skate park
A statement from the City of Mount Gambier council said the lamb and two other larger lambs were found wandering close to traffic on Jubilee Highway East on Sunday and then locked inside the nearby Dimjalla skate park by a ranger that night.
In a post on Facebook that she described as an open letter to the council, wildlife rescuer Julia Dangerfield said she noticed the male lamb in distress about 11am on Tuesday.
She called the council to let them know the lamb, which still had its umbilical cord attached, was "hypothermic, non-responsive, and unable to move".
A ranger came and let Ms Dangerfield look after the lamb, which she gave milk to and warmed up overnight at her house on Tuesday.
She then passed it onto the Orphan Lamb Rescue Farm — an organisation that looks after orphaned and abandoned lambs in nearby Glencoe.
In a video Ms Dangerfield posted online, the lamb can be seen writhing around on the ground.
Warning: The following video contains images of the lamb in distress.
Orphan Lamb Rescue Farm president and founder, Rebecca Alexander, said the lamb was less than a week old and appeared to be starving because it was not given any milk.
She said it was likely having a fit because of a low blood-sugar level.
"They tend to go downhill very quickly when they don't get regular milk at his age.
"We're hoping that's all it is and that it hasn't done any internal damage."
The temperature dipped down to 4 degrees Celsius overnight in Mount Gambier on Sunday night and 5C on Monday night.
Ms Alexander said the lamb had started drinking milk from a bottle and standing up.
"He looks really well," she said.
"The wildlife carer's done a fantastic job."
Unlike Ms Dangerfield, Ms Alexander was not critical of the council ranger's actions.
"I guess it's something that the council doesn't deal with very often, and so they probably don't have any type of facilities to take the sheep in," Ms Alexander said.
"I'm assuming they thought locking it in a skate park kept them safe and off the road.
"I think the main thing that could have been done is hay and water put out immediately for them and then the little one be taken in because he was one that definitely needed milk."
Ms Dangerfield called on the council to investigate the incident.
The council said the welfare of animals was a priority "and we remain committed to acting swiftly when animals are in need".
"We're pleased to report that all three lambs are currently safe and recovering," it said.
"Council extends its sincere thanks to the community members who supported the animals during this time."
The two larger lambs have been taken to a farm.
A fourth lamb was found near the Mount Gambier showgrounds, also in the city's east, on Sunday.
But Ms Alexander did not believe it was connected with the other three, since it was used to being fed by humans.
"He's very, very friendly," she said.
"He's used to the bottle. The dog doesn't scare him. So obviously he's been hand-raised already."
Lambs raised by the Orphan Lamb Rescue Farm are only adopted out to people who plan to keep them as pets.
None of the rescued lambs had ear tags.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
SBS Australia
2 hours ago
- SBS Australia
Former Israeli air force pilot on why Israel needs to end the war in Gaza
For more SBS Hebrew stories, interviews and news explore our collection of podcasts on our Facebook page at Shalom Australia as well as our website at
SBS Australia
14 hours ago
- SBS Australia
Tess escaped the world's first atomic bomb. Here's what she wants the world to know
Sitting in her Melbourne lounge room, Tetsuko 'Tess' McKenzie flips through faded photographs with her family. But one image has never left her mind — the blinding flash of 6 August 1945 when she witnessed the world's first nuclear bomb strike the Japanese city of Hiroshima. "I was standing on a railway platform when suddenly a strong white light flashed into my eyes," the 96-year-old told SBS News. "And I turned to my friend and asked her, 'What is that?'" "The next thing we heard was a tremendous noise, and then, in a gap between the hills, we saw white smoke rising. Gradually, it formed into a mushroom shape." Tetsuko 'Tess' McKenzie (left) looking at old photos with her granddaughter Eri Ibuki. Source: SBS / Scott Cardwell McKenzie was a teenager when she witnessed the devastating moment the United States dropped an atomic bomb on Hiroshima. It was nearly eight decades ago but memories of the event are forever etched into her mind. The 16-year-old was on the way to the city to watch a movie with a friend. By an extraordinary twist of fate, they missed their train — a narrow escape that to this day she gives thanks for. "Oh yes, if we had caught that scheduled train, we would have been right in Hiroshima when the bomb fell," she said. Nicknamed 'Little Boy', the atomic bomb caused widespread destruction and was a major factor in Japan's surrender which ended World War Two. "We had no idea what it was. Then at around midday, the radio stations announced that a bomb fell on Hiroshima," McKenzie recalled. A slightly larger plutonium bomb exploded over Nagasaki three days later, causing more destruction. The explosion marked the first use of atomic weapons in warfare and had a profound impact on the course of history. Credit: Getty An estimated 214,000 lives were lost in the two bombings by the end of 1945, with a majority of deaths occurring in Hiroshima, while thousands more died later from radiation poisoning. "After we saw the cloud, we took another train towards the city but eventually that was stopped and the authorities put us off. We had to walk a long way home, and it took many hours," McKenzie said. Her family in their hometown of Kure, east of Hiroshima, believed she had perished in the blast and were later amazed when she returned home. "From then on, I started believing in God. And even these days, I thank God when I wake up every morning and before I go to sleep each night," she said. Even so, McKenzie and her family suffered the impacts of war. Their port city was razed by allied bombs. "Kure was burned out. The allied bombs fell all night until there was nothing left. "We hid in tunnels, and a night we heard the explosions. And I was crying 'I do not want to die here, I do not want to die." From Hiroshima to Melbourne: Journey of a 'war bride' McKenzie's life took another unexpected turn at 19 when she met an Australian soldier while working for the British Commonwealth Occupation Forces. "I thought to myself, 'Oh, he is good looking'. And he was very good-looking," she said with a giggle. Corporal Ray Murray McKenzie was 22, and soon after, the pair began courting. But it wasn't simple — Japanese girls had been warned to stay away from enemy soldiers. Australian soldier Ray McKenzie was stationed in Japan when he met Tetsuko. Source: Supplied / Tetsuko McKenzie "Some people did not like to see Japanese women with soldiers," McKenzie said. "But they slowly changed their minds when they learned that most Australians were very sincere and had warm hearts," she said. The couple married in 1952 and made a home in Melbourne, marking the beginning of McKenzie's life as a 'war bride' — a term used for women who married soldiers and immigrated to their partner's home country after the war. McKenzie said her husband's family made her feel welcome and helped her establish a new life in Australia, far from home. Tetsuko married Australian soldier Ray McKenzie in 1952 and moved to Melbourne. Source: Supplied / Tetsuko McKenzie But she missed her life in Japan and like many other war brides, worried she would never return. "Life was very hard at first, in this unknown place," she said. McKenzie was among more than 650 Japanese war brides who migrated to Australia after the end of World War Two. Some struggled to settle and McKenzie shared memories of a friend who was rejected by her mother-in-law. 'She suffered harsh treatment and was forced to do all the dirty work around the house," McKenzie said. Tetsuko McKenzie on her wedding day in 1952, in traditional Japanese attire. Source: Supplied / Tetsuko McKenzie McKenzie learned typing and soon started working for the Victorian health department. After decades of marriage, McKenzie lost her husband, Ray, 18 years ago. She remains close to her extended family, especially Eri Ibuki and Tahila Pynt. "When she first told us about her experience, we just couldn't believe it. And she still remembers every detail," granddaughter Ibuki said. "We are all very proud of nanna and the way she radiates happiness and peace. And we are so grateful to still have her with us today," Ibuki said. (Left to right) Eri Ibuki said she was surprised when Tetsuko McKenzie told her about witnessing the falling of the atomic bomb in 1945. Source: SBS / Scott Cardwell Like many young people of Japanese descent living in Australia, Ibuki and Pynt are eager to learn about their heritage and regret that, growing up, only English was spoken at home. "I would have loved to learn Japanese and it is definitely something that I would love my kids to learn, to better connect with their culture," said great-granddaughter Pynt, 21. "I plan to visit Hiroshima next year and look forward to touring the Hiroshima Peace Memorial Museum to learn more about the atomic bomb and the devastation that it caused. "I expect it to be heartbreaking, really, knowing that someone from my family lived through that." Tetsuko McKenzie loves to share her stories about her life in Japan with young students. Source: SBS / Scott Cardwell Masafumi Takahashi from the Association of New Elderly in Melbourne, a community group that aims to prevent social isolation among senior members, often brings young students to McKenzie's cozy home. "Her stories and experiences are just so precious and unique," Takahashi said. "It helps to understand about the destruction and the loss of life." McKenzie said the 80 th anniversary of the bombing is a time to reflect not only on the lives lost, but also on the broader consequences of atomic warfare — particularly as nuclear tensions rise in some parts of the world. "We must never forget what happened in Hiroshima and Nagasaki. "Yet countries keep making weapons to destroy people. "When I heard that World War Two had ended, I was very happy, but at the same time, so many people had lost their lives. "And what was it all for?" This story has been produced in collaboration with SBS Japanese
ABC News
15 hours ago
- ABC News
This Place - Mangalagun
Yawuru Elder Dianne Appleby takes the ABC to Mangalagun on the outskirts of Broome. ABC Kimberley: Dayvis Heyne/Dunja Karagic
