A FOUR-week-old lamb is lucky to be alive after being hit by a car and then carried 25 miles stuck in the radiator grille.
The lamb – named Larry by vets – was struck by a Renault Clio late on Friday night as he gambolled near the busy A70 near Carnwath, South Lanarkshire.
The female driver didn’t know she had hit Larry and carried on at 60mph to Edinburgh Airport.
Larry was only discovered after he was spotted by shocked onlookers at the airport who shouted: “There’s a lamb on your bumper!”
He suffered a fractured leg but after treatment is now safely back with his owner.
Mike Hall, from Braid Vets in Edinburgh, treated Larry for his injuries.
He explained that in 20-years of being a vet he had never known an animal the size of a lamb to survive such trauma.
He said: “Larry could have easily died of shock during the journey.
“He is clearly a very robust little creature with a great determination to live, but he is very lucky.”
Larry – currently with his back left leg in plaster – is thought to be left with a permanent limp following the incident but should make a good recovery.
Mr Hall added: “He was shocked and had quite a bad fracture of the back leg, but the shock wore off over time and we were able to get him back on all four feet.”
The driver of the Renault, understood to be in her 40s, had been driving along the A70 and A71 – a route that can see cars driving at speeds in excess of 60mph.
Larry was understood to have been struck near Carnwath, South Lanarkshire where the motorist continued travelling to Edinburgh Airport – around 25 miles away.
Unknown to the driver, the wee lamb was pinned on the front grill – only spotted after the driver arrived at her destination.
On Saturday, Bairds Vets uploaded a photo of the young sheep to its Facebook page.
The caption read: “Last night a vehicle travelling from Lanarkshire to Edinburgh hit “something” en route across the moors.
“Arrived 40 minutes later at Edinburgh Airport to be told ‘There’s a lamb on your bumper’!
“Lamb treated overnight for shock and a fractured back leg. Back up and walking today – but it missed the flight!”
Animal welfare officers urged drivers who believe they have hit an animal to stop at the scene to prevent a repeat of Larry’s traumatic experience.
Scottish SPCA senior inspector Jenny Scott, who took Larry home, said: “The police alerted us to an incident in which, remarkably, a lamb had been found inside a car grille.
“We were able to trace the lamb’s owner and have since returned it to a farm in Lanarkshire, where we believe it will be used for breeding purposes.
“We’d advise people to be cautious when driving along country roads to avoid hitting wildlife or livestock.
“If anyone believes they have struck an animal they should pull over if it is safe to do so.”
Police Scotland were asked if hitting an animal and driving off was illegal similar to a hit and run scenario.
A police spokesman said: “No – the driver in her 40s reported the animal after it was discovered.
“Inquiries are ongoing but no charges have been brought forward.
“The animal is recovering well.”
