Maroc - NEWSDAY.CO.TT - A la Une - Hier 08:18

The amazing sheep

Those of you who read my column regularly may know about Petal the lamb. Born with a defective body, she was unable to stand and suckle from her mother. Not wanting to put her down, the sheep owner (an acquaintance) asked if I knew anyone who would bottle-feed her. A friend of mine took on the task, but shortly after went abroad, and I took over. Eight months later, Petal is still with me. Her left back leg dangles at her side and does not support her, but she sometimes uses it to scratch her face. Her body, which remained very small, is somewhat twisted, resulting in vagina, tail and stomach being located to the left, rather than the centre of her body. When she runs, she scuttles sideways, somewhat like a crab. Despite her physical “abnormalities,” I do not see her as being “deformed.” She is simply who and what she is and lives her life, confidently operating in the only ways she has ever known. There has been no one to tell her, “You are not normal,” or “You cannot do this or that.” Since having Petal, I have learned a lot about sheep – in conversation with certain sheep farmers and veterinarians, and also from doing my own research. If more people knew how amazing sheep are, would they still view them primarily as “food”? Would they even be able to eat them? Even if you do eat mutton or lamb, see how you feel after reading further… There have been times when Petal is grazing, with her back to me, and I attempt to sneak away without being seen. Because she always comes running after me, it is as if she has eyes at the back of her head. [caption id="attachment_1193346" align="alignnone" width="1024"] Animal rights advocate Elspeth Duncan takes a selfie with her pet lamb, Petal. - Elspeth Duncan[/caption] I discovered that this is somewhat true. Because they are prey animals, sheep have spectacular hearing and vision. Without turning their heads, they are able to see behind them, thanks to a visual field of almost 360 degrees. Recently, sitting in the garden with Petal, I noted that she was rubbing her face against a chair near to me. At first I wondered if she was simply scratching herself, or if she considered the chair some kind of plastic companion. I read subsequently that sheep have preorbital scent glands that transmit pheromones and help with communication, marking territory, etc. Their interdigital (between the toes) scent glands are also used for that purpose. When I used to bottle-feed Petal, she would gaze into my face with quiet intensity while guzzling. I used to feel as if her eyes were little cameras, recording me. Even now, she sometimes stops what she is doing to stare at me, as though absorbing my countenance and general appearance. I believe this is an accurate assumption, as sheep have amazing facial-recognition capabilities. They have the sophisticated ability to recognise and remember different human faces and are highly sensitive to emotional expressions, being able to distinguish between photographs of calm and startled sheep, as well as sheep of their own or different breeds. They can recognise as many as 50 sheep faces, and remember them for up to two years. Their highly advanced facial-recognition capacity is quite similar to that of humans. If someone were to present Petal with a photo of me, along with photos of human strangers, she would recognise me. This fact made me wonder about the feelings sheep might experience if the familiar face of a trusted handler is the last face they see before (unfortunately) being slaughtered. I often observe Petal’s grazing patterns – how she selects specific grasses, weeds, leaves and even soil for nibbling. She knows what she wants to consume and what not to. Recently, I was concerned when, for the first time, she was very under the weather: she did not even respond when presented with some of her favourite edibles. At one point she got up, went to nibble on a certain grass, and returned to lie down, looking thoroughly miserable. Her nibbling at the grass was most likely her attempt at zoopharmacognosy – the act of self-medicating by selecting and consuming certain plants, soils, etc. When the vet visited, we determined that she had parasite issues; the dewormer I had been using was not acting as effectively as it should. A dose of another brand quickly brought her back to herself. We can learn a lot about, and from, these amazing animals. Please consider them as more than “food.”   The post The amazing sheep appeared first on Trinidad and Tobago Newsday.