Rare sheep fall to their deaths after dog chased them over cliff edge

Officers said the sheep were "clearly in distress" (Photo: Jersey Fire & Rescue)
Officers said the sheep were "clearly in distress" (Photo: Jersey Fire & Rescue)

A rare breed of sheep were chased over the cliff edge due to an out-of-control dog, with two sheep falling to their deaths.

In total, four Manx sheep were killed after loose pet dogs chased a flock over a cliff edge in Jersey, overlooking Greve De Lecq Bay on Sunday afternoon (19 November).

Two fell off the cliffs to their deaths during the chase, and a further two sheep died after falling during the rescue attempt by Jersey Fire and Rescue Service.

(Photo: Jersey Fire & Rescue)
(Photo: Jersey Fire & Rescue)

The fire crews used rope rescue equipment to corral the animals to an area where they could be rescued.

Officers said the sheep were "clearly in distress", and although they were able to rescue one on Sunday they had to postpone further rescue attempts until Monday (20 November) due to failing light and challenging terrain.

A spokesman for the fire service said the dogs were "believed to be with their owner" but added they were not on leads and could not be "brought under control" before they chased the sheep.

Local shepherd, Aaron Le Couteur, confirmed to the BBC that the sheep in difficulty were of the Manx Loaghtan breed that had been brought to the island by the National Trust for Jersey to help re-establish the population.

The news follows the release of an influential All Party Parliamentary Animal Welfare Group report which states that more than 1,800 farm animals have been killed by dog attacks in the space of four years.

The report shows that 1,866 farm animals have been killed, 1,614 have been injured and 92 dogs have been shot in ‘worrying’ incidents from September 2013 to September 2017.