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ANIMAL TRAGEDY: Mid-Troms Farmers Association leader Martin Ness is shocked after learning of the animal tragedy. Photo: STEIN WILHELMSEN, Troms Folkeblad
A vet found around 80 dead sheep in a barn in Mid-Troms. Police are now investigating the case.
Troms police are investigating violations of the Animal Welfare Act after they conducted investigations today at a farm where they found about 80 dead sheep, they wrote in a press release.
It was the veterinarian on behalf of the Norwegian Food Safety Authority who discovered the dead sheep and alerted the police. There are also some sheep from the farm that are alive, Lofthus Police Superintendent Geir Lofthus reports to VG.
– There are some who have also survived. We don’t know how many at this time. There have been some sheep grazing, he says.
11 sheep in the barn on the farm were emergency euthanized. So far, the animals appear to have starved to death, according to police.
The farmer in questioning
– The vet believes that it may be the cause of death. A selection of animals will be sent for autopsy, says Lofthus.
He says he does not know that the farmer has had a history of similar cases.
– Not as far as I know.
The farmer is now being questioned and the police will question the neighbors and investigate on the spot.
It is currently unclear what will happen to the animals that have survived.
Farmers Team: Shocked
Martin Ness is the leader of the Mid-Troms Farmers Association. He has worked as a farmer for 40 years and says he has never heard of such a thing.
– I was shocked. It’s amazing that something like this can happen.
Ness says there are many indications that they have died during the summer because the sheep are in the mountains grazing now.
If the farmer had opened the door, they could have gone out to eat. It is incomprehensible to me why they were in the barn, he says and adds:
– It’s terribly sad. It is an animal tragedy.
