Sheep Walking In Circles For Days Mystery Possibly Solved
Have you seen the flock of sheep walking in circles in China? The videos appearing on social media this month are really pretty fascinating. People all over the world stumped as to why, may now have an answer. The unusual behavior on a farm in Inner Mongolia, North China, went viral leaving people wondering why. According to a story in Newsweek, a professor and director of agriculture in England explained the mystery quite simply. Sheep tend to mimic behaviors of their flock mates. Their instinct signals them to follow the animal in front to avoid predators. This protects the flock overall. So, that would explain the following. But, he notes it’s unusual for the pattern to continue for extended periods. The flock began circling November 4. The director went on to say if the sheep are in pens for an extended amount of time, the behavior possibly continues out of frustration. And, of course, in sheep fashion, others join the behavior to bond with friends.
The farm reported only a small number of sheep walking in circles in the beginning. Then, gradually the entire flock joined in. However, they say they have 34 pens of sheep, and only one pen displays the circling behavior. Other experts studying the phenomenon, say the sheep may have listeriosis. The bacterial disease is referred to as “circling disease.” The animals become infected from soil, food and feces. The disease often causes circling in livestock. On the other hand, the disease is usually fatal and fast moving. So, it’s unusual for the symptoms to continue this long without death. Bottom line, if experts rule out listeriosis, it appears it may just be the flock mentality stemming from frustration over being penned up. Animal behavior fascinates me. I’ll keep watching until we know for sure!
https://youtu.be/DgvvY53VLMo
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