A distraught farmer heard a ewe cry in distress after her lambs were stolen by sheep rustlers.
Now Donna Vidal is offering a €2,000 reward for information that will lead to the return of two five-week-old Lanark-style Scottish Blackfaces taken from their mother at the farm outside Trim, Co Meath.
Donna, 27, said she wishes a fox would have got them instead of thieves as she doesn’t know if they are now suffering without food.
Read More: Randy ram has fathered sextuplets, six sets of triplets and 30 twins
She added: “I was woken up about 3am last Saturday by the ewe roaring and I could hear lambs roaring in distress back but their cries seemed to be getting further away.
“My initial thought was that it was a fox but then the lambs were about 15kg each and far too big for a fox to carry off. The dogs weren’t barking either and they’d be making quite a fuss if there was a fox about.
“I went outside with my head torch on and saw a car screeching off which I thought was unusual but then I checked the paddock, which backs onto a main road, and the lambs were gone.
“The ewe had given birth to quadruplets, two rams and two ewes which I had been bottle feeding. Only the ewes had been taken so I definitely don’t think a fox would have a gender preference.
“It would be very easy for someone to cross the fence, take them under each arm and take off with them.”
Donna, who has a flock of about 100 sheep which she exhibits at shows, says she has offered the reward to just get them back and ensure they are ok.
She added: “I searched nearby fields, hedges, drains and anywhere they may have got stuck if they escaped, but I found nothing.
“Not only am I devastated to have lost them, but I worry if they are OK, getting fed properly or being cared for. At least if it was a fox, I know they were gone straight away.
“This was my first year to breed Lanarks and they were my pride and joy. To hear the ewe roar and cry after her babies who were also bleating back in distress as they were stolen was just heartbreaking.
“They are probably worth less than a grand each anyway but the reward is to get them back safely. I know for many, they are only two horned lambs but they meant so much more to me. I’m heartbroken.”
Anyone with any information is asked to contact Trim garda station at 046 9281540.
Get breaking news to your inbox by signing up to our newsletter
