Firefighters work to save the bull
Seventeen firefighters have been involved in an operation to rescue a large bull after it sank into a muddy ditch.
Only the animal's nose was above the mud in the ditch at Borve in Lewis.
Crews from Ness, Stornoway and Shawbost were involved in the rescue from about 08:50 on Thursday. A digger was also used in the effort to free the bull.
The rescuers managed to clear mud from around the animal's head before pulling it free.
Station Manager Steve Oliver was in charge at the scene and described the incident as one of the most difficult animal rescues he had ever attended.
He said: "If it had been an hour later the animal may have been completely submerged.
"We enlisted the help of a mechanical excavator to help dig and we had to go down three metres into the peat before we could get strops underneath the animal to help get it out.
"We then managed to free the animal and it became stuck twice more before the vet managed to walk it onto firmer ground and assess its condition.
"It appeared to be uninjured so it was a happy ending."
Mud covered firefighters dug down three metres with help from a mechanical digger during the rescue effort
