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The UK’s ‘loneliest shep’ is having difficulty bonding with other animals after being rehomed to a farm in Scotland.
Fiona the sheep is believed to have spent at least two years isolated in the Scottish Highlands.
In October 2023, a kayaker photographed the ewe trapped at the base of a steep cliff on the Cromarty Firth.
The image prompted local animal welfare groups to coordinate a rescue mission and Fiona was captured and relocated to Dalscone Farm in Dumfries.
The ewe was named after Fiona, the ogre from the animated Shrek film series. Another sheep, affectionately named Shrek, rose to prominence in New Zealand in 2004 after hiding in caves after evading shearers for six years.
After living on her new farm for nearly 12 months, Fiona reportedly has difficulty adapting to a more social life.
Farmer Ben Best is one of several workers overseeing the sheep’s recovery. After her rescue story captured public attention, he has shared updates on the ewe’s progress on social media.
He told BBC Radio Scotland: “She doesn’t socialise very well with other sheep. I think it is just from being down by herself and isolated for over two years at the bottom of that cliff.
“She has kind of forgotten how to be a shep. We have tried her in with several different friends and we have had to take them back out because she really doesn’t get on with them that well.”
Despite Fiona’s struggle to navigate friendships with her own species, she has enjoyed the company of Dalscone farm workers.
Ben explained: “She is very placid, she is quite laid back and not what we expected whatsoever – but in a good way.”
Since her rescue, Fiona has become somewhat of a farmyard star, even fronting a mental health campaign targeting farmers with the slogan: “Are ewe OK?”
Her carers also warned Fiona has a tendency to make the most of the hay and feed on offer and the ewe has recently been placed on a diet “after putting on a fair bit of weight”.
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