Video: Sheep Make Cunning Play to Escape Coyotes
OutdoorHub Reporters 07.08.14
A group of sheep blocked a road in Topsfield, Massachusetts for several hours, but instead of being irate, herd owner Eugene McKay said he was impressed by what his sheep did to escape a band of coyotes.
“The reality is, the coyotes come out after storms, and they run at the sheep and bunch them up in the corner,” McKay told WCVB.
Recent storms in the area allowed a number of coyotes to break into the fenced-off enclosure where the sheep were staying. The fuzzy animals instinctively banded together and later broke through the hot-wire fence to escape. McKay said that sheep being stalked by coyotes move much like a school of fish, making it hard for the predators to separate one from the herd. The 14 sheep eventually sought sanctuary near some houses, and later on Rowley Bridge Road. The constant flow of cars going around the small herd ensured its safety, and McKay reported that all of the sheep made it safely through the day until they were retrieved. One of the animals did receive a nip from a hungry coyote, but the injury was not life-threatening.
