450 Sheep Jump to Their Deaths

One of the downsides of conformity

[MoneyMan]

This is just crazy. [news.yahoo.com]

I found this the most interesting part:

First one sheep jumped to its death. Nearly 1,500 others followed, each leaping off the same cliff. Those who jumped later were saved as the pile got higher and the fall more cushioned

[rocknbil]

Well, that's what happens when sheep party all night with Lemmings.

[MoneyMan]

Now, this is an extreme case, but I understand why the sheep follow the herd. It's an instinctual protection mechanism.

So the fact that the entire herd jumped isn't as much as question for me as why the first one did.

Have you ever heard of an animal jumping off a cliff on its own volition without any prompting or instinctual response (ie "following the rest of the herd")?

[longen]

Does it remind you of the SEO flock.

[Webwork]

Sheep must have lousy depth perception.

Or is that death perception?

Nah, it wasn't caused by sheep in the front jumping. It was caused by the sheep in the back pushing, trying to get to the front of the line.

Actually, when you read the story, it's rather sad as there people involved lost their livelihood.

[Syzygy]

A flock of 1,500?

Sounds somewhat woolly to me...

Syzygy

[digitalghost]

The real question is why graze the sheep near a cliff that has a drop not covered by a fence or dogs? As sheepherders they should know that a panic may cause all the sheep to run over the edge. The people that were ruined are at fault, and it is likely, they know it.

[Dijkgraaf]

Rocknbill, you might want to do a search on lemmings suicide myth :-)
Lemmings don't ussualy jump over cliffs.

[rocknbil]

The legend, the legend . . . it doesn't seem as funny if you have to explain it.

[larryhatch]

I found a jillion dead ants in a bag of tortilla chips here once.
The plastic bag was opened and only folded closed, leaving them a way in.
Maybe they had heart attacks from the hydrogenated fats. -Larry