As darkness closed in on an Australian road and predators loomed nearby, a traveler had to decide whether to keep going after seeing a newborn lamb beside her dead sibling or stop.
They stopped — and that decision changed the lamb's life.
Here's what to know
In a post shared by animal sanctuary Edgar's Mission (@edgarsmission), the organization said, "When a traveller found a newborn lamb clinging to the side of her dead sibling, with darkness gathering and predators nearby, they knew they could not simply drive on."
Rather than leave the lamb there, the traveler picked her up and brought her home.
Later named K Pop, the lamb weighed almost 13 pounds (six kilograms), which made her "the largest newborn lamb to arrive at Edgar's Mission this year."
A newborn lamb left alone outside, especially as night approached, faces immediate risks from predators.
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The post also described her as "frightened, lanky and beautifully naïve."
More background
K Pop shares space with young lambs named Mary Poppins, Mister Pop Over, Lolly Pop, and Pop Tart.
Instead of being left at the roadside, K Pop is part of a group of lambs that play together across the paddock.
The sanctuary said the lambs "race across the paddock with the carefree delight of children at play, reminding us there is surely something deeper than biology that binds young hearts together."
That intervention gave K Pop the chance to grow up safely rather than die where she was discovered.
Where can I learn more?
K Pop's rescue is one of several animal stories involving quick action, unusual young animals, and unlikely bonds. These articles cover an unexpected sheep birth in Ohio, a moose rescue in Colorado, wolf pups safeguarded in India, a rhino-and-sheep bond in South Africa, and a loose kangaroo relocated near Montreal.
• In Ohio, a family realized the newborn looked like a goat after expecting a lamb.
• In Colorado Springs, firefighters carried out not your everyday rescue call for a young moose.
• At India's Bankapur Wolf Sanctuary, officials ensure the safety of all the pups after a rare birth.
• At a South African rehab center, Frank the sheep's companionship helped a baby rhino heal.
• Near Montreal, authorities tranquilized a kangaroo after days loose and sent it to a zoo.
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