A flock of sheep have been captured on CCTV following each other in circles for almost two weeks in China’s Inner Mongolia region.
CCTV footage from the property shows dozens of sheep aimlessly looping for no obvious reason while other sheep watch on.
It has been speculated the sheep’s behaviour could be caused by a bacterial disease called Listeriosis — also known as “circling disease”.
According to the veterinary manual by Merck Sharp & Dohme Corp.
(MSD), “affected animals are anorectic, depressed, and disoriented. They may propel themselves into corners, lean against stationary objects, or circle toward the affected side.
“Outbreaks typically occur 10 days after feeding poor-quality silage. Removal or change of silage in feed rations often stops the spread of listeriosis; however, feeding the same silage months later may result in new cases.
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But according to Chinese state-run outlet People’s Daily, the sheep are perfectly healthy and the cause of the behaviour remains unknown.
“The great sheep mystery!” the outlet tweeted.
“Hundreds of sheep walk in a circle for over 10 days in N China’s Inner Mongolia. The sheep are healthy and the reason for the weird behavior is still a mystery. “.
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