"Ewe" dares, wins

JohnW · 29-07-2004, 19:24

Clever little buggers eh?

"Ewe" Dares Wins..?
From AOL News today...

A flock of cunning sheep is terrorising village gardeners after working out how to cross a cattle grid.

The sheep roll over the grate Commando-style to get out of their field and reach gardens in Marsden, West Yorkshire, where they munch their way though flowers, shrubs and vegetables.

Having had their fill, they then roll back over the grid and into the field.

Local councillor Dorothy Lindley said she had witnessed the astonishing manoeuvre.

"It is quite clever really. They get on their back or side and just roll over and over the metal grids," she said.

"Many of the sheep treat the village as their home but they are a big nuisance to villagers. They eat plants, vegetables and flowers in the gardens.

"What amazes us is that they are not frightened. When you try and move them on they look at you as if to say it is their patch and you are not right in the head."

A National Farmers' Union spokesman said: "Our members have not heard of this before."

But a National Sheep Association spokeswoman said: "I'm not surprised. Sheep have more brainpower than people are willing to give them credit for."

Ceejache · 29-07-2004, 19:40

I heard about this on Radio 5 today. Apparently some sheep used to jump over the grid previously.

Sparkologist · 29-07-2004, 19:57

Rumour has it that the sheep in Yorkshire are so clever that they can recognise the sound of a zip-fly being undone - that is why Yorkshiremen have taken to wearing kilts.

grego · 29-07-2004, 20:34

Sparky, thats a bit below the belt!

Sparkologist · 29-07-2004, 21:03

Which part? The zip-fly, the sheep or the kilt?

lettie · 29-07-2004, 21:08

I also heard this on the news this morning. It must be a slow day news wise if the focus of our attention is drawn to escapee sheep..

Stanley4Life · 30-07-2004, 10:30

lol clever buggers

janet · 30-07-2004, 15:23

No doubt it was Baaaabra again, leading them all astray. Can't take her anywhere.

Doug · 30-07-2004, 15:31

Perhaps their Shi’ite Sheep training to fight with Bah, Bin laden

steve · 30-07-2004, 17:59

Why not plant mint on the other side of the grid that might stop them, if there so clever.

Busman747 · 30-07-2004, 19:43

What a great story that was! It shows that just sometimes, animals can show more intelligence than man (or woman)

Perran · 30-07-2004, 20:59

Was in Scotland years ago and got talking to the local farmer. I was shutting the gate next to a cattle grid when he stopped in his Land Rover. He told me to leave it open and on asking why he told me he was fed up retreiving the sheep from one field and putting them back only to find them back there again the next day. He thought he had a break in the wall or something but no. He got so frustrated that he waited one night. What he saw was two lead sheep roll onto the grid next to each other, then the other sheep used them as a bridge and walked over them into the other field, the two sheep then rolled over into the field aswell! I don't know about you but till that moment i thought sheep were dumb. It taught me a lesson!