Silence of the lambs… These sheep have been walking in circles for 12 days - why?
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A recent video of a flock of sheep walking in circles has been doing the rounds on social media, and people can't seem to figure out why the animals are behaving this way.
The footage, which was captured on a farm in China's Inner Mongolia region, shows dozens of the animals marching around and around in what appears to be a never-ending loop.
Although the sheep had been moving in a nearly perfect circle since Nov. 4, it's unclear whether they stopped to eat or drink or whether they were still circling two weeks later.
The owner of the farm where the sheep are kept, Ms Miao, claimed that the strange behaviour began with just a few animals before the rest of the flock joined in. Although there are 34 sheep pens at her farm, only those in the particular pen were affected.
Some have speculated that bacteria could be responsible for causing what has been dubbed 'circling disease'.
The illness - called Listeriosis - can be transmitted through contaminated food or soil and causes symptoms including depression, loss of appetite and partial paralysis, all of which could explain why the animals appear to be dazed as they follow one another around endlessly.
However, Listeriosis usually kills infected animals within 48 hours, so this doesn't explain how these sheep have managed to keep going for 12 days straight!
So, if bacteria isn't to blame, what is causing the strange circling behaviour?
Some experts believe that the sheep may be experiencing 'frustration' due to being confined in a small space for too long.
'It looks like the sheep are in the pen for long periods, and this might lead to stereotypic behaviour, with the repeated circling due to frustration about being in the pen and limited,' said Matt Bell, a professor at Hartpury University in England.
Another possibility is that the animals are simply following the lead of the rest of the flock, as is common behaviour for sheep.
Sheep, according to the Merck Veterinary Manual, are herd animals, and their social behaviour is governed by a phenomenon called 'flock mentality,' which allows the animals to avoid danger as a group and keeps individuals safe from predators.
But we can't help but wonder: what kind of 'predator' were they trying to avoid in this particular situation? Hmm…
We may never know for sure what made these poor sheep start circling in the first place, but we hope they're now free to roam and graze to their heart's content!
Members, what do you think was the reason for the sheep's behaviour? If you're up for some more 'interesting' animal behaviours, check out this video below:
Credit: Mind Boggler.
The footage, which was captured on a farm in China's Inner Mongolia region, shows dozens of the animals marching around and around in what appears to be a never-ending loop.
Although the sheep had been moving in a nearly perfect circle since Nov. 4, it's unclear whether they stopped to eat or drink or whether they were still circling two weeks later.
The owner of the farm where the sheep are kept, Ms Miao, claimed that the strange behaviour began with just a few animals before the rest of the flock joined in. Although there are 34 sheep pens at her farm, only those in the particular pen were affected.
For two weeks, a flock of sheep seemed to be doing nothing but running in circles. Credit: Pexels/Trinity Kubassek.
Some have speculated that bacteria could be responsible for causing what has been dubbed 'circling disease'.
The illness - called Listeriosis - can be transmitted through contaminated food or soil and causes symptoms including depression, loss of appetite and partial paralysis, all of which could explain why the animals appear to be dazed as they follow one another around endlessly.
However, Listeriosis usually kills infected animals within 48 hours, so this doesn't explain how these sheep have managed to keep going for 12 days straight!
So, if bacteria isn't to blame, what is causing the strange circling behaviour?
Some experts believe that the sheep may be experiencing 'frustration' due to being confined in a small space for too long.
'It looks like the sheep are in the pen for long periods, and this might lead to stereotypic behaviour, with the repeated circling due to frustration about being in the pen and limited,' said Matt Bell, a professor at Hartpury University in England.
Another possibility is that the animals are simply following the lead of the rest of the flock, as is common behaviour for sheep.
Sheep, according to the Merck Veterinary Manual, are herd animals, and their social behaviour is governed by a phenomenon called 'flock mentality,' which allows the animals to avoid danger as a group and keeps individuals safe from predators.
But we can't help but wonder: what kind of 'predator' were they trying to avoid in this particular situation? Hmm…
Members, what do you think was the reason for the sheep's behaviour? If you're up for some more 'interesting' animal behaviours, check out this video below:
Credit: Mind Boggler.
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