Calf missing for nine days found alive by ramblers in a sink hole

A calf that was missing for nine days has been found alive by ramblers in a sink hole.

Farmer and cheese-maker Jonathan Crump assumed the Gloucester calf - now named Sinky - had died when it vanished at 10 days old.

But he was astonished when walkers Dan Rawlings, 37, and Tom Lewis, 35, spotted the calf popping its head out of a metre deep hole in a 25-acre field.

The pair helped lift the animal out and watched it run straight to its mother to feed.

Mr Crump, from Standish in Gloucestershire, said it is a wonder the calf survived so long without any milk.

He said: "I'm totally amazed. I never ever imagined a cow could live for those days without any food.

"I'm very grateful they found it. They were actually lost so it's great they found it."

Married Mr Crump has 35 cows and each day around 20 come in to be milked.

He noticed Sinky was missing on September 2 when it failed to come in with its mother.

After scouring his farm he had given up the animal for dead until friends Dan and Tom alerted diary staff on Sunday.

Artist Dan, from nearby Stroud, said: "We were just cutting across the fields and spotted something in a hole.

"At first we thought it was a badger, but when we looked closer we realised it was a calf.

They went to the farm to get help but when they returned the calf was trying to get out the hole.

It is thought the sinkhole was created by an underground spring.

Sinky is now being fed a course of electrolytes in a bid to combat its dehydration, and looks set to make a full recovery.

As a reward for saving the calf, Mr Crump gave the men a big chunk of his single Gloucester cheese.

"It's the best cheese I've ever had," said Dan. "It was definitely the best payment for a good deed I've ever had!