A large flock of sheep in Northern China is exhibiting a very strange behavior, continuously walking in a circle for 12 days in a row.
The odd phenomenon seen on video shows the sheep walking clockwise in a circle for days on end at the farm where they live.
Other sheep watch from outside the circle as the sheep practice the odd behavior. Some sheep also stand in the middle of the circle, not moving.
Only the sheep from pen number 13 have been reported acting in this strange manner, according to the farm’s owner.
The sheep began marching in a circle on November 4. They do not appear to be eating or drinking.
The eerie sight was revealed in a video posted to social media on Wednesday by China’s People’s Daily. The news outlet said that the sheep appear to be in good health and no one is sure what is causing their unusual behavior.
The sheep’s zombie-like actions could be connected to the bacterial infection Listeriosis, which is known as “circling disease,” according to the New York Post.
The Merck Manual describes the disease as “initially, affected animals are anorectic, depressed, and disoriented. They may propel themselves into corners, lean against stationary objects, or circle toward the affected side.”
The disease generally spreads due to spoiled feed. But sheep and goats usually die within one to two days of exhibiting symptoms, likely ruling it out in this case.
(Israel National News' North American desk is keeping you updated until the start of Shabbat in New York. The time posted automatically on all Israel National News articles, however, is Israeli time.)