This newborn baby lamb is healthy, happy and running free - despite being born with FIVE legs.

Zara Bayley, 10, was helping her father Mark deliver the baby animal when she spotted the extra limb.

She and her brother Jake, 12, have named him after Forrest Gump in the hope he will run free, and persuaded their dad Mark to let them keep him as a pet.

The little lamb, who is entirely healthy apart from the mutation, was born at 6:30am on Wednesday on the family's farm near Ashbourne, Derbyshire.

Forrest the lamb with his mother
Forrest the lamb with his extra leg

Mark, 47, who is a director of Mark Bayley Ltd, said: "We were amazed and couldn't believe it. I have never seen anything like it.

"I went out to look after the lambs as they were being born and my daughter Zara was with me.

"I hadn't noticed when my daughter said, 'dad, look, that lamb has five legs'.


"We checked him over and he seems to be fine. He was healthy, drinking from his mother, and doing everything he needed to do."

Mark Bayley with the lamb

Forrest seems largely undisturbed by his extra leg, despite not being able to use it properly.

When he moves, the fifth limb appears to dangle at his side rather than move independently.

However, according to Mark, it has caused a stir amongst the other lambs.

He said: "I was sat watching the lambs yesterday and Forrest was happily playing with the rest of them.

"There was one lamb that looked at Forest, and then down at itself, as if to wonder why it was missing a leg.

"It was very sweet."

Forrest the lamb running free
Forrest the lamb is just a few days old

Zara and Jake have quickly formed a bond with the little lamb and have convinced their dad to keep him.

Jake even wrote a newspaper report on Forest at school that day.

Mark said: "We are going to have to keep him, but I'm fine with that. We have plenty of other sheep and cows on the farm.

"I'm not sure about the name though. As we are from Derby, people keep telling we should have called him Ram, after the Derby County football team.

"Forrest is actually the name of their rivals, so we'll have to be careful."