Friday, July 08, 2005

Follow the leader

450 Sheep Jump to Their Deaths in Turkey

The Associated Press

Friday, July 8, 2005; 9:30 AM

ISTANBUL, Turkey -- First one sheep jumped to its death. Then stunned Turkish shepherds, who had left the herd to graze while they had breakfast, watched as nearly 1,500 others followed, each leaping off the same cliff, Turkish media reported.

In the end, 450 dead animals lay on top of one another in a billowy white pile, the Aksam newspaper said. Those who jumped later were saved as the pile got higher and the fall more cushioned, Aksam reported.

"There's nothing we can do. They're all wasted," Nevzat Bayhan, a member of one of 26 families whose sheep were grazing together in the herd, was quoted as saying by Aksam.

The estimated loss to families in the town of Gevas, located in Van province in eastern Turkey, tops $100,000, a significant amount of money in a country where average GDP per head is around $2,700.

"Every family had an average of 20 sheep," Aksam quoted another villager, Abdullah Hazar as saying. "But now only a few families have sheep left. It's going to be hard for us."

8 Comments:

At 11:49 AM, Blogger Air Time said...

Did any of the sheep leave a note?

 
At 1:24 PM, Blogger AMSHINOVER said...

after years of being forced upon by sex crazed male shepperds, i'd jump

 
At 1:30 PM, Blogger Just Passing Through said...

In fact I'm surprised we don't see a higher rate of sheep suicide in certain countries,

 
At 2:37 PM, Blogger AMSHINOVER said...

the whole story leaves a bahaaaaaaad taste in me mouth?!

 
At 8:31 PM, Blogger Karl said...

Twaz reported here as:
450 sheep turn into jumpers
(although I think it looses something in the translation, as it means something different to you lot.)

 
At 10:02 PM, Blogger Just Passing Through said...

call me slow, but I'm not following.

 
At 9:45 AM, Blogger orthomom said...

Jumpers means sweaters in the U.K. Get it?

 
At 12:06 PM, Blogger Just Passing Through said...

ahhh. Now I do. Kinda like saying "excuse me, you have a stain on your pants" in England. (pants being underwear over there)

 

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