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Since kea are now a protected species, their depredations are generally tolerated by sheep farmers, though why some kea attack sheep, and others do not, remains unclear. Various theories, including similarities with existing food sources, curiosity, entertainment, hunger, maggots as well as a progression from scavenging dead sheep and hides ...
The sheep population on Mauna Kea eventually exceeded 40,000 in the 1930s, decimating the defenseless native plants including remaining silversword. [4] Feral sheep were then greatly reduced from 1936 to 1950 but protected until 1981 as sport game in the Forest Reserve lands, which overlap the original Mauna Kea silversword habitat. [6]
Palila v. Hawaii Department of Land and Natural Resources was an ecological court case pertaining to the Palila and the Māmane-Naio ecosystem of Mauna Kea.The case stems from the introduction of goats and sheep onto Hawaiʻi island in the late 18th century, which became feral and damaged the local ecosystem.
The trampled dead body of Scottish botanist David Douglas (discoverer of the Douglas fir) was found in 1834 in a bullock pit on Mauna Kea. Those traps were known for catching cattle, but the possibility of murder was considered in this case. [4] Feral cattle contributed significantly to the decline of many plant species in the Hawaiian Islands. [2]
They have two dark eyes and two rhinophores that emerge from the tops of their heads that look not unlike sheep's ears or insect antennae. They range in size from 5 to 10 mm ( 1 ⁄ 4 to 3 ⁄ 8 inch) in length.
A Kea will attack and eat part of the sheep, but the bird doesn't directly kill it. Our section on Diet covers this. If you can't access the video cited there, this picture gives a reasonable portrayal of a Kea attack. -- Avenue 21:13, 1 April 2009 (UTC) The sheep photo in the article shows a deep wound close to the kidneys.
The main Australian predator of sheep is the dingo, which is a large-enough danger to sheep to precipitate the construction of the world's largest fence: the Dingo Fence. Red foxes also may prey on 10-30% of lambs, costing Australians sheep breeders more than A$ 100 million annually. [ 12 ]
This is a list of sheep breeds usually considered to originate in Canada and the United States. [1] [2] Some may have complex or obscure histories, so inclusion here does not necessarily imply that a breed is predominantly or exclusively from those countries.