By Michelle van der Spuy
The little lamb didn’t stand much of a chance against the Eastern Cape’s winter cold after she fell off a trailer en route to a warmer area. But thanks to the kindness of strangers she was found, kept warm and safely returned to her owners.
Scott and Ammie Pringle farm with Merino sheep on Mount Pleasant on the slopes of the Great Winterberg range. Their ewes lamb twice a year – in June and November. During winter, the Pringles move their pregnant ewes down from the mountain to their farm near Adelaide, where it’s warmer and safer for lambing.
Early in June, Scott transported the ewes by truck and trailer. A young lamb that was born on the higher-lying farm before the move was on the trailer with its mother, but somewhere along the pothole-riddled road through the Mankazana Valley it fell off unnoticed.
“Fortunately, Eric Mpongoshe, who works on a smallholding in the area, found her and looked after her in true ubuntu style,” Ammie says.
Eric, who works for Ben du Preez, a high school teacher in Adelaide, discovered the lamb bleating by the side of the road on his way home that Thursday. He gently picked her up and informed Ben of the find.
That night, Eric and his wife reportedly kept the lamb warm in bed between them to protect her from the cold. The next morning, he entrusted the lamb to Rosie, Ben’s domestic worker, who looked after her while the search for its owner continued.
Ben asked around on WhatsApp groups whether anyone knew of someone who had lost a lamb, and in the meantime Scott and Ammie were sending out messages to see if anyone had found one.
By Friday afternoon, a message reached the right people and the little lamb was reunited with the Pringles. Scott named her Lollos.
When the Pringles were first reunited with the lamb, they weren’t sure which ewe she belonged to – by then, many of the ewes had lambed. When they eventually identified the right mother, it was too late; she didn’t recognise the lamb as her own.
“It was a warm weekend, so we left the lamb with the flock to see whether the ewe would accept her,” Ammie says. “But it didn’t happen – so since Sunday Lollos has been our pet lamb.”
Lollos is now being kept warm near the fireplace in the Pringle household, together with another lamb with an injured leg. “I’ve cordoned off a space for her in the kitchen so she can’t wander too far,” Ammie says. “We’ll let her explore outside a bit during the day, but she’ll be inside more than out.”
She will definitely be indoors for at least the next week, especially with severe cold forecast for the Eastern Cape.
Lollos, already tame and cheeky, is bottle-fed three times a day – not with formula but with fresh milk from the Pringles’ cows. Soon, she’ll start grazing with the other lambs and ewes, but she’ll still be bottle-fed for a while.
In the meantime, Lollos and her companion – who has yet to be named – are enjoying a warm and cosy spot, with every effort being made to keep the cold at bay.
“When they came in from outside this morning, you could see they were chilled to the bone,” Ammie says. “So now we have two heaters and a fire going, and warm bedding to lie one so we can warm them up.”
She says that once young lambs get too cold – often during the night – it can be difficult to save them. On bitterly cold nights, you just hope they all make it through until morning.
Scott says the kindness shown by the people who found and looked after Lollos has really touched them.
“It’s heart-warming,” Ammie adds, and laughs. “I would never have put a lamb in my bed!”
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