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Fortean Sheep & Strangeness Involving Sheep

In both reprts with pictures they seem to be walking clockwise. "Widdershins" may be more sinister. :evil:
 
T'other week driving to the supermarket we passed one of the several sheep-containing fields on our journey as usual except this time one of the sheep was sitting down.

Like a dog sits. Same posture.

There was nowhere to stop to get a closer look but indeed we both saw it in the several seconds it took to drive past.

Didn't know it was possible for sheep to sit down - Mr Zebra who has farming experience has never seen owt like it.


Afterwards we pondered why sheep and cows don't sit down like dogs and cats do, and whether or not a cows legs (which look woefully inadequate for the size of the rest of it at the best of times) would allow a cow to ever sit down.
 
Schrodinger's Zebra said:
T'other week driving to the supermarket we passed one of the several sheep-containing fields on our journey as usual except this time one of the sheep was sitting down.

Like a dog sits. Same posture.

There was nowhere to stop to get a closer look but indeed we both saw it in the several seconds it took to drive past.

Didn't know it was possible for sheep to sit down - Mr Zebra who has farming experience has never seen owt like it.


Afterwards we pondered why sheep and cows don't sit down like dogs and cats do, and whether or not a cows legs (which look woefully inadequate for the size of the rest of it at the best of times) would allow a cow to ever sit down.
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Possibly injured?

maximus otter
 
hunck said:
I’m doubtful these sheep have been walking in a circle for 12 days. Don’t they need to sleep occasionally? They’re walking round a patch of ground of a different colour to the rest. What d’you reckon this is? Sheep are well known for following a herd leader.
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Presumably it's not the same individual sheep that have been walking in a circle for 12 days, but the herd have been doing so.
 
Sheep Are Surprisingly Democratic And Alternate Their Leaders

A new study of sheep behavior indicates they display collective intelligence that humans – scientists and citizens alike – might do well to learn from.

Professor Fernando Peruani of the Université Côte d’Azur and co-authors investigated the movements of several flocks of 2-4 sheep, all composed of females of the same age, to investigate theories of flocking as a self-organizing process. Movements were tracked from a nearby tower. They found that sheep alternate between grazing and moving to pastures greener as collective behavior, with the authors writing that “Each motion episode has a temporal leader that guides the group in line formation.” The leader varies randomly.

Whether sheep do this in larger flocks, or when there are rams present, is not known.

The likely reason sheep rotate, rather than always looking to the same leader, is that it allows them to take advantage of different flock members’ knowledge. If one sheep notices the grass is greener on the other side of a fence with an open gate, they will lead the flock through – if not at the first opportunity, then soon.

Hierarchical structures fail when the trusted leader misses an opportunity and is too boneheaded to take advice. Moreover, sheep’s alternating leadership may reduce conflict – it’s much easier to accept a decision you don’t like if you know you’ll get another chance soon enough.

https://www.iflscience.com/sheep-are-surprisingly-democratic-and-alternate-their-leaders-66289

maximus otter
 
maximus otter said:
Sheep Are Surprisingly Democratic And Alternate Their Leaders

A new study of sheep behavior indicates they display collective intelligence that humans – scientists and citizens alike – might do well to learn from.

Professor Fernando Peruani of the Université Côte d’Azur and co-authors investigated the movements of several flocks of 2-4 sheep, all composed of females of the same age, to investigate theories of flocking as a self-organizing process. Movements were tracked from a nearby tower. They found that sheep alternate between grazing and moving to pastures greener as collective behavior, with the authors writing that “Each motion episode has a temporal leader that guides the group in line formation.” The leader varies randomly.

Whether sheep do this in larger flocks, or when there are rams present, is not known.

The likely reason sheep rotate, rather than always looking to the same leader, is that it allows them to take advantage of different flock members’ knowledge. If one sheep notices the grass is greener on the other side of a fence with an open gate, they will lead the flock through – if not at the first opportunity, then soon.

Hierarchical structures fail when the trusted leader misses an opportunity and is too boneheaded to take advice. Moreover, sheep’s alternating leadership may reduce conflict – it’s much easier to accept a decision you don’t like if you know you’ll get another chance soon enough.

https://www.iflscience.com/sheep-are-surprisingly-democratic-and-alternate-their-leaders-66289

maximus otter
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Noticed a similar action with the Starlings quite recently (a few days ago) when they were buzzing about in the air. Seemed to be learning tactics of changing directions when one of them suddenly changes direction the others get the hint and follow.
 
Sharon Hill said:
More about sheep circling and other animals going round and round.

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Surely - when animals, or insects are stressed precisely because they have no way to walk in a freely straight or wandering direction, then they have no choice but to walk in a circle - continuously.
Also, fish and many other specie circle naturally as a defensive motivation, to confuse predators - if they just formed a line then it stands to reason that it would be easy pickings for any attacker - without the confusion of 'the pack,' 'the shoal,' or 'the herd' or with humans it would be the crowd, or group?
 
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Sid said:
Surely - when animals, or insects are stressed precisely because they have no way to walk in a freely straight or wandering direction, then they have no choice but to walk in a circle - continuously.
Also, fish and many other specie circle naturally as a defensive motivation, to confuse predators - if they just formed a line then it stands to reason that it would be easy pickings for any attacker - without the confusion of 'the pack,' 'the shoal,' or 'the herd' or with humans it would be the crowd, or group?
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That’s pretty much what the video says.
 
hunck said:
That’s pretty much what the video says.
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Well, the Title of the Video does say "Why are these Animals Turning in Circles?"
Not, 'This is why Animals are seen turning in Circles.'
 
Sheep found wearing motorbike helmet

On Isle of Tiree, Scotland

Ettie MacDonald stopped his car on May 9 to help what he initially thought was a sheep stuck in a feeding bucket.

However, as the 46-year-old walked onto the field, he realised the four-week-old cattle was in fact wearing a black crash helmet.

‘I took it off after I took the video then left the helmet by the field then just went on my way to work.

‘I’m glad I was there because it would have been stressed eventually but it was getting plenty of air in there and just walking around in circles.

Owner Sheila MacKinnon believes the headgear must have been left in the long grass, leading the nosey lamb to investigate.

She says the lamb is ‘absolutely fine’ and has been jumping around the field as normal.

She’s thankful joiner Ettie was driving past at the time to save the lamb from becoming distressed by the unfortunate situation.

Sheila said: ‘Lambs are nosey and they like to stick their heads in everything but for it to be a helmet and it be on the right way, it feels like it can’t be real.

‘Thank god Ettie happened to be driving past.’
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1684237773583.png
 
Vid at link.

Suffolk lamb given wheels to stay mobile after legs fail​

A lamb whose back legs stopped working shortly after birth has been given a walking frame with wheels to stay mobile.

Winnie was treated for a suspected spinal abscess after joining a flock that keeps the grass short at All Saints' and St Margaret's Church in Pakefield, Suffolk.

When this failed to help, a charity that normally provides wheels for dogs with mobility problems stepped in to help.She is unlikely to join the rest of the flock roaming around the church grounds but will instead support projects that help children through bonding with animals.

https://www.bbc.com/news/av/uk-england-suffolk-66052038
 
Saw this story from 2005 on Reddit this evening:

450 Turkish Sheep Leap to Their Deaths​

ISTANBUL, Turkey – First one sheep jumped to its death.

Then stunned Turkish shepherds, who had left the herd to graze while they had breakfast, watched as nearly 1,500 others followed, each leaping off the same cliff, Turkish media reported.

In the end, 450 dead animals lay on top of one another in a billowy white pile, the Aksam newspaper said. Those who jumped later were saved as the pile got higher and the fall more cushioned, Aksam reported.
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https://www.foxnews.com/story/450-turkish-sheep-leap-to-their-deaths
 
Seeing as it's in Yorkshire it was probably a callsheep service.

Three sheep have been rescued from a car which crashed in a ditch near York.

North Yorkshire Fire and Rescue Service said the BMW's driver lost control and crashed at about 22:45 BST on Monday at Lowfield Lane, Scrayingham.

When emergency crews arrived, two sheep were found in the boot of the car while another was found on the back seat. The driver had fled the scene.

Hydraulic cutters were used to remove one of the car's doors to release the animals, the fire service said.

https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-england-york-north-yorkshire-66715285
 
Sounds like a expensive bit of rustling.
:omr:
 
Police find live sheep in boot of car on A2 near Boxtel

On the A2 near Boxtel last night, police found a live sheep in the boot of a car. The animal turned out to be from a petting zoo in Eindhoven.

The sheep was in a car with a German registration number and was found during a check, writes Omroep Brabant. The animal ambulance was then alerted, which took care of the animal. The sheep appeared unharmed. "We have not experienced anything like this before," writes the Brabant-North-East animal ambulance on Facebook.

Because the sheep had a registered Dutch ear tag in her ears with a clear number, it was possible to find out where the animal came from. According to the animal ambulance, the sheep was taken to a shelter in Ravenstein last night because of the time the animal was found. This afternoon, the sheep will be returned to the petting zoo. The police are investigating why the animal was in the boot of this car.

The manager of the petting zoo tells Omroep Brabant that he has not experienced such a kidnapping before since he has been manager. "But in the past this has happened once in a while," he knows. The other sheep at the petting zoo will soon be moved to another location. "There, there is a higher fence around the pasture," he says.

https://nos.nl/artikel/2492491-politie-vindt-levend-schaap-in-kofferbak-auto-op-a2-bij-boxtel

1697471713402.png
 
Is it under a shear cliff?

All baa myself: Is this Britain's loneliest sheep?​


Sheep

,
The sheep pictured during Jill Turner's recent kayak trip along the shores of the Moray and Cromarty firths

A sheep spotted at the foot of steep cliffs on the shores of a Scottish firth has been dubbed Britain's loneliest sheep.

Jill Turner, from Brora, said she first came across the ewe while kayaking along the Moray Firth's east Highland coast.

She believes she has seen the same sheep again, with a very overgrown fleece, on a recent trip this year.

Ms Turner told the Northern Times it bleated out to her and fellow kayakers.

https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-scotland-highlands-islands-67237956
 
ramonmercado said:
Is it under a shear cliff?

All baa myself: Is this Britain's loneliest sheep?​


Sheep

,
The sheep pictured during Jill Turner's recent kayak trip along the shores of the Moray and Cromarty firths

A sheep spotted at the foot of steep cliffs on the shores of a Scottish firth has been dubbed Britain's loneliest sheep.

Jill Turner, from Brora, said she first came across the ewe while kayaking along the Moray Firth's east Highland coast.

She believes she has seen the same sheep again, with a very overgrown fleece, on a recent trip this year.

Ms Turner told the Northern Times it bleated out to her and fellow kayakers.

https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-scotland-highlands-islands-67237956
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It’s been rescued

Five farmers got together to do it & are planning to shear it & hand it to a farm park. It had been stranded for at least 2 years.

The rescue mission was organised by Cammy Wilson, a sheep shearer from Ayrshire, after seeing media coverage of the ewe's plight.

Speaking in the video posted on Facebook he said

"We've come up here with some heavy equipment and we've got this sheep up an incredibly steep slope.

"She's in incredible condition. She is about a condition score of about 4.5, she is overfat - it was some job lifting her up that slope.

He said he anticipated some people would criticise his rescue mission as foolhardy, and he accepted it was risky.
"The only difference between us being heroes and idiots is a slip of the foot," he said.

"I would do it again, maybe not tomorrow though because I'm knackered."

He was joined in the rescue by fellow farmers Graeme Parker, Als Couzens, Ally Williamson and James Parker.
Two of them stayed at the top to operate a winch while three others were lowered 250m (820ft) down the cliff to reach Fiona.

They found her in a cave.
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1699117183141.png
 
hunck said:
It’s been rescued

Five farmers got together to do it & are planning to shear it & hand it to a farm park. It had been stranded for at least 2 years.

The rescue mission was organised by Cammy Wilson, a sheep shearer from Ayrshire, after seeing media coverage of the ewe's plight.



View attachment 71067
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Five farmers fleece sheep then barbecue it I bet!
 
hunck said:
It’s been rescued

Five farmers got together to do it & are planning to shear it & hand it to a farm park. It had been stranded for at least 2 years.

The rescue mission was organised by Cammy Wilson, a sheep shearer from Ayrshire, after seeing media coverage of the ewe's plight.



View attachment 71067
Click to expand...
I knew someone would try. This makes me happy in a world full of deeply unhappy news.
 
Sid said:
I wonder how that sheep reacts to other sheep after spending it's long two years in isolation, must affect it in some way - probably living in shear bliss now though!
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Probably a bit sheepish in company, soon he;; tell them to flock off.
 
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She as been moved to a for ever home, she certainly appears to be a very lade back sheep
even after 2 years in the wild.

Many years ago some of these activists broke into a local mink farm and release thousands
of mink, now I don't like breeding animals for there fur but,
hurrah they shout and retire to the pub, unfortunately the local wild life had nowhere to
retire to and were decimated by the mink. which sort of put me off activists a bit.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-scotland-south-scotland-67332287
 
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