A UK farmer has dyed his sheep bright orange in an attempt to stop thieves stealing from his flock. The farmer, John Heard works on a remote part of moorland on Dartmoor in Devon, England, decided to paint the woolly beasts after thieves targeted his flock of 250 blackfaced ewes.
"It produces strange-looking sheep but it has done the trick and I haven’t lost one this year," said Mr Heard, who says 200 of his sheep have been stolen in the past few years. "It works because they are so easy to distinguish making it easier for me and my neighbours to keep a wary eye out for them."
"Sheep rustling has become a big problem with ewes worth around £140 each," the 48-year-old livestock farmer said.
The farmer got his inspiration after his son James told him about a Scottish farmer who had dyed his sheep before an agricultural show. The harmless non-toxic dye eventually wears off with no side effects and seems to have put a stop to the thefts.
The National Farmers' Union said there had been a fivefold increase in sheep thefts this year, due to the high price of lamb.
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