A ram that received a promotion in the British Army should feel anything but sheepish about his accomplishment.
This is Derby XXX, a Swaledale ram who is the mascot for the Mercian Regiment of the British Army.
The ram was promoted from private to lance corporal after the regiment's Formation Day parade Tuesday. (Video via The British Army)
But Lance Cpl. Derby isn't the first ram to serve as a mascot for the British Army. As his name suggests, he's actually the 30th.
According to Country Life, rams — who all start out as Pvt. Derby — have been mascots since 1858 when a commanding officer took possession of a ram during a siege.
Since then, various regiments in the British Army have inherited the ram as their mascot. Pvt. Derby became the official mascot of the Mercian Regiment when it formed in 2007. (Video via The British Army)
Lance Cpl. Derby XXX has been with the Mercian Regiment since 2014. The BBC reports the animal is treated like any other service member — he's given money to buy rations, gets his own army number and is even allowed to take holidays.
The official reason for Lance Cpl. Derby's promotion: good behavior.
This video includes images from The Mercian Regiment.
