Gardiner police responded to a daring early morning escape Wednesday after an entire flock of sheep made a break for it.
“Like six in the morning,” Kristian Holbrook of Oaklands Farm said. “You’d think they’d give me a little more time to get up.”
Holbrook blames the escape on one sheep who showed the others how to get past the electrified fence by crawling under it.
“Moe goes out,” Holbrook said. “And everyone says ‘Hey, if he can do it, we can do it.’”
The entire herd escaped, all 91 of them.
“All of a sudden, they started coming up the driveway. They went around the house numerous times,” neighbor Connie Greenleaf said. “I had to get to work. What can you do about it? There were 91 of them.”
LaVoie lives next door and took video of the escapees.
“They were eating the grass and the trees,” LaVoie said. “Drinking some water out of that barrel. You know, just exploring, enjoying their freedom.”
As with any gang or posse or flock, there’s always a leader. In this case of the wandering sheep, that was Moe.
“Moe was the ringleader,” LaVoie said. “And they were all seeming to go where he kind of wanted to go.”
Fearing another escape, Moe was separated from the herd Thursday and placed in solitary confinement.
He’s a repeat offender.
“They like to break out,” Holbrook said. “So it’s not uncommon.”
Gardiner police herded the sheep back home where they belong.
“They just are tired of being in the same spot,” Holbrook said. “I mean, there’s plenty of grass out here, so I can’t think of any other reason. They’re definitely getting fed.”
