Yes, A Flock of Sheep in Brooklyn
I’ve always been fascinated by the Fortean concept of out of place animals. History is riddled with stories of animals being seen and encountered where they shouldn’t be. I have actually done a number of stories on these kinds of sightings. Monkeys, kangaroos, baby elephants, and large cats have all been seen in suburban neighborhoods or near apartment buildings in areas where these animals are definitely not native. The usual explanation given is that they are merely escaped circus animals. And while superficially this may seem like a good explanation, it doesn’t really account for the sheer number of sightings.
The other alternative is that people are simply misidentifying known animals. I reported on an alleged hyena being seen in Brooklyn back in 2018, but that easily could have simply been a dog. Big cats could just be…well, big cats. Harder to explain away would be an elephant or a monkey. But in this day and age, everyone has a camera on their phone, and so proving the existence of out of place animals has gotten a little easier. I came across this story about a flock of sheep in Brooklyn, and I am perplexed. These are definitely sheep, and I doubt they escaped from a circus.
Only in New York! This afternoon a Brooklyn homeowner called 911 after discovering a flock of sheep in his rear yard. #NYPD ESU safely wrangled them up and with the assistance of the Mounted Unit the 8 uninjured sheep were transported @NYCACC in Brooklyn. pic.twitter.com/7wr5Ro7cx3
— NYPD Special Ops (@NYPDSpecialops) April 30, 2021
Where Did They Come From?
I don’t really know what to make of this one. I’ve looked around and I can’t seem to find any news source that states they’ve found out where these sheep came from. Staten Island has a large deer population, but otherwise, NYC is pretty much home to only smaller mammals. For instance, I have seen raccoons in Brooklyn. In addition, my brother once saw a skunk. And I know of people who have seen coyotes in the Bronx. Not animals one would associate with New York City, yet they are around. But we don’t really have sheep here. I don’t know where 8 sheep would have even come from. There are no zoos near Marine Park, Brooklyn, and no circuses that I know of. I don’t know of any farms out there, either. Another out of place animal mystery is on our hands, it seems.
Where do you think these sheep came from?
But, believe it when they talk about giant rats in the subway and waterfront.
My thought is that they are kept for a slaughterhouse. There is a large Muslim community which use them for religious ceremony or feasts; also, the biggest American Jewish community is located in New York City. Hasidim are especially prevalent in Brooklyn (Williamsburg, etc). They celebrate Passover and other holidays by eating lamb. The sheep probably have to be kept in a certain way for both groups, as well as slaughtered and prepared ceremonially for the feasts and holidays. Hence, you have escaped sheep. I’m sure that it’s illegal to keep farm animals in the city, but you never know. I have no idea how many sheep were involved.