While it may appear this lamb was being detained, it was quite the opposite—as conservation officers were shuttling the lost animal to safety after it was rescued from the Bald Range fire in Summerland, B.C. The B.C. Conservation Officer Service shared photos of the incident on Tuesday afternoon, depicting a lamb sitting in the back seat of one of their trucks. The lamb temporarily fell into BCCOS care after firefighters found and rescued it sometime in the last few days. Conservation officers note that it was a domestic lamb and said it has since been brought to an animal rescue organization in Penticton called ALERT, which stands for Animal Lifeline Emergency Response Team. The BCCOS called this rescue “a positive moment amid a challenging wildfire response.” “This rescue is a great example of agencies and emergency responders working together to help protect both people and animals during an emergency,” reads a social media post from BCCOS. In ALERT’s care, the lamb will be joined by countless other creatures rescued from dangerous wildfire-affected areas in the region. The organization has been co-ordinating emergency animal sheltering and providing evacuation support for those who need assistance with their animals, things they’ve been doing during floods, wildfires, and other natural disasters in the Okanagan since 1994, according to their website. Evacuation orders in Summerland came in urgently on Friday as the wildfire situation evolved, leaving some evacuees with the difficult decision to leave their animals behind. According to the city of Penticton’s website, staff from ALERT are on site at the emergency support services reception centre located at the Penticton Trade and Convention Centre, and providing animal care services.
