The Woodstock Farm Sanctuary, a lifelong home for farm animals in need of care based in High Falls, rescued Oracle the sheep on Monday, September 11, after a weeks-long effort to bring her to safety. She was found roaming St. Luke’s Episcopal Cemetery in Beacon, just off NY-9D.

The sheep was first spotted at the cemetery in August, and the sanctuary began to keep tabs on her with the help of volunteers. They made a rescue attempt on August 16 but couldn’t catch her out in the open. So, they named her Oracle and set up for the long game.

Dubbed Operation Oracle, the project became a collaborative effort, with regular Facebook posts to recount their progress.

“We have been working with local neighborhood folks to gain this sheep’s trust gradually, and are seeing results!” the sanctuary wrote on August 29. “The biggest concern is that the sheep continues to cross roads with traffic.”

Rescuers coaxed Oracle into a more enclosed part of the cemetery, where the sanctuary stationed their rescue trailer. Oracle overcame her skittishness as the weeks went by, grazing closer and closer to the trailer, and by September 11, volunteers were able to get her inside.

Oracle has been brought back to High Falls, where she will receive medical attention. The sanctuary estimates that she was on her own for months without a herd, so her condition is unclear. To support her care, donations can be made online or sent via mail to 2 Rescue Road, High Falls, NY 12440.

Woodstock Farm Sanctuary is home to all kinds of rescued animals, including cows, goats, bunnies, chickens, pigs, sheep, turkeys, ducks, and geese – and the community is ever-growing. To learn more about them, follow their Facebook page @WoodstockFarm or visit woodstocksanctuary.org.