Rare Black Sheep Found Outside Pub in Hampshire

April fool's day is a day where people trick their friends with elaborate pranks or simple jokes. Staff at the Ashley Pub, Hampshire, felt the same when they saw a rare breed of black sheep that was found April 1 outside their pub tied by a shoelace.

The sheep was spotted at 11:30 a.m. with one end of a blue lace tied around its neck, and the other end tied to the play equipment in the pub garden.

"This is clearly not an animal that is used to being tethered and would panic when approached by people, this method of tethering could have caused the sheep a serious injury had it been so spooked by something that it desperately tried to get away," RSPCA Inspector Graham Hammond said in a press statement.

The inspector suspects that the poor animal was a victim of some sort of April fool's prank. The sheep had a few shaved patches of fleece on the hind left side and the rump. Apart from this, there were no identifying features.

The ewe was under the care of pub staff until the animal charity arrived and transferred her to the RSPCA Ashley Health Animal Shelter.

According to the RSPCA officials, the young ewe is a rare breed of Shetland sheep. There was an enquiry set among the local sheep farmers, including a rare breed farmer, but the attempt to trace the owner of the young ewe ended in despair.

The RSPCA officials state that anyone who owns the young sheep can contact them.