Santa Maria Times
Posted on 05/11/2006 10:39:19 AM PDT by NormsRevenge
Two sheep stranded without water on a rocky ledge above a highway have defied efforts to shoo them to safety.
Officials from fire, wildlife and law enforcement departments on Wednesday shot non-lethal ammunition, explosives and water hoses at the sheep, and let loose dogs, threw rocks, blared sirens and hollered at them.
The ram and ewe, however, refused to scale a steep trail that leads off the ledge 50 yards above Highway 166.
"They're like a person. Do you want to take a chance or stay where it's safe?" said supervisory wildlife biologist Joe Bennett of the U.S. Department of Agriculture.
The sheep were first spotted on the ledge 18 miles east of Santa Maria early last week.
Officials believe they fled a nearby ranch or were let loose by their owner. They don't know how the animals got onto the ledge but think they're capable of scrambling off.
Authorities are unsure of their next step.
The U.S. Department of Agriculture is considering shooting the sheep with tranquilizers or sending rock climbers after them.
"We haven't given up. We just have to think of something new to get them off of there," Bennett said. "We bought them a little time with the water."
for more info..
Efforts to help ewes fail
http://www.santamariatimes.com/articles/2006/05/11/news/featurednews/news01.txt
Baaaaaad pun,dude.
LOL!!!
Sheep are known to be the some of the dumbest animals on 4 feet that God ever created. Even so, I would bet those 2 will climb down when they get thirsty and hungry enough if they're left alone. Maybe all the would-be rescuers are actutally scaring them into sticking up there.
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