Animal activists protested outside the home of a Dumfries family as they were set to take in Britain’s “loneliest sheep” .
But the ewe, named Fiona, was finally sneaked into Dalscone Farm Fun in the middle of the night after a “cloak and dagger operation”.
Dalscone owner Ben Best said: “We had to do mission impossible to get her here but we did it because farmers work longer hours than protestors.”
Members of Animal Rising staged a protest outside the park on Sunday where Fiona will live out the rest of her life “in luxury”.
Mr Best was forced to call police after demonstrators gathered outside the farm claiming the animal would be turned into a “spectacle”.
In a live social media stream he said: “They’re outside the farm and outside my mum’s house flying drones and intimidating everyone.
“We’ve had to stop Fiona coming here for now because if they try to block her entrance, it will distress her and we can’t risk that.
“We’ve got to think of her safety.”
“It’s infuriating because we were going to give her a five-star home but that’s been blocked and it’s a crying shame.”
Fiona had finally been rescued by a team of volunteers after being left stranded on a rocky beach on the north east coast of Scotland for two years.
The Scottish Society for Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (SSPCA) previously said that attempts to save the sheep would be “incredibly complex”.
A hovercraft company had even offered to help lift the animal to dry land due to concerns that the rocky terrain would make it impossible to use a dinghy or boat.
In the end, a group of five farmers- led by Ayrshire sheep shearer Cammy Wilson – were able to haul Fiona up a steep slope to safety.
The rescuers used a winch mounted on a truck parked at the top of the cliff and a feed bag fashioned into a makeshift sling in what was described as an “epic” mission.
Two of the men stayed at the top to operate the winch while three others were lowered 250m down the steep descent where they found Fiona in a cave and guided her up the rock face.
(Image: Jim McEwan)
A spokesman for the SSPCA said: “The team brought the ewe up and our inspector examined her.
“Thankfully the sheep is in good condition, aside from needing to be sheared.
“We are delighted the sheep is safe and well, ready to start her new life.”
But Animal Rising said taking Fiona to the farm park would be going from “isolation to exploitation”.
In a Facebook post, the group said they had agreed a rescue deal with the landowner.
It said: “In return for carrying out the rescue and keeping his name out of the press, he accepted that we would take Sheepie to Tribe Animal Sanctuary near Glasgow, where she could live out the rest of her life in peace and security.
“He insisted our rescue had to go ahead on Sunday, November 5 but, this morning, he facilitated a covert operation to remove Sheepie and take her to Dalscone Farm Fun petting zoo on the outskirts of Dumfries instead.
“Whilst we are pleased this poor ewe is no longer stranded at the base of a cliff, she has just gone from isolation to exploitation.
“It is completely inappropriate that she would be taken to be made a spectacle of at a petting zoo.
“These environments can be stressful for any animal, but especially for one who has lived in isolation for the last two years and will likely now be mobbed by daily visitors owing to her celebrity status.”
But Mr Best said Fiona would have had five months to settle into her new home in “peace and quiet” while the park is closed for winter.
“Fiona would be under constant vet supervision and would get the best home she possibly could here,” he said.
“We only do the right thing by our animals. Our animal care is impeccable so this is so infuriating.
“These activists, who had people outside my mum’s house which terrified her, are claiming what they are doing is in her best interests but it’s really not.”
After sneaking Fiona in after the protestors left, he added: “We had to go a bit cloak and dagger and it was ludicrous we had to sneak a sheep onto our farm.
“But we’ve done it and got her here safely.
“She is an absolute superstar and will live the rest of her life here in luxury.”
