Baby alpaca saved from drowning in womb at Cannon Hall Farm

A baby alpaca at risk of drowning in its mother’s womb has been safely delivered at a Yorkshire farming attraction thanks to the quick thinking of farmer David Nicholson.
By Ben Barnett
Published 1st Feb 2019, 14:54 BST
Updated 7th Feb 2019, 16:58 BST
The new born alpaca, pictured with its mother Audrey at Cannon Hall Farm, Barnsley. Picture by Simon Hulme.The new born alpaca, pictured with its mother Audrey at Cannon Hall Farm, Barnsley. Picture by Simon Hulme.
The new born alpaca, pictured with its mother Audrey at Cannon Hall Farm, Barnsley. Picture by Simon Hulme.

The tiny infant was in a dangerously incorrect position when its mother, named Audrey, started going into labour at Cannon Hall Farm in the village of Cawthorne on the outskirts of Barnsley.

It had its face covered by a water sac, meaning if it drew breath it would have drowned, but a timely intervention by Mr Nicholson’s ensured it was delivered without harm.

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The farmer managed to manoeuvre the baby into a safe position and clean its airways.

He said: “We always try not to intervene unless absolutely necessary but the calf wouldn’t have survived if we hadn’t been there. It was touch and go for a moment there.

“It took a bit of time to get to his feet, but he started drinking off mum within two hours and is doing great now.”

The new arrival and its mother will receive star treatment this week. Audrey, who has starred as a patient on hit Channel 5 TV show The Yorkshire Vet, is due a check up from the programme’s co-star Julian Norton, who is also a columnist in The Yorkshire Post.

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Audrey previously appeared on The Yorkshire Vet because her baby teeth had not come out and so Mr Norton removed them.

A competition has been launched on Cannon Hall Farm’s Facebook page to give Audrey’s new-born calf a name.

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