What killed this lamb please? *graphic photo warning*

johngalway

Not one of ours, actually it's a UK lamb. Posted on a forum elsewhere, and the poster was wondering what done this lamb in, thoughts? I have my suspicions, and I know what the poster reckons, just want to see what people here think without influencing ye. The head and tail have been removed, the lamb is several days old and was strong.

foxshooter243

some type of cat..they are notorious brain eaters:D

greenpeter

Stoat? mink? pine martin? cat? or

landkeeper

head gone! easy, brock
that's a big lamb too those bottles are10/12",i'm long suprised anything tackled itthe iodine on the navel would smell strongly

riflehunter77

Might be this fella, they usuall bite the head off rabbits and play with it for a while. Never seen it done with a lamb though.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HNbqvqf3-14&feature=related

CJhaughey

Bróc is my guess as well. Very few animals have a strong enough bite to completely remove a head like that.
Could have been a fox kill and the Badger came and robbed it off the fox.

johno2

My guess is mink or cat. Whatever did it couldn't have bitten the head off in one bite. It must have been chewed off gradually. There might be some clues about the size of the teeth if it could be examined properly. If it was found in the open it was probably something that wasn't strong enough to drag it to cover. If it was found under cover then probably something that was strong enough to drag it there.

johno

.243

CJhaughey wrote: »

Bróc is my guess as well. Very few animals have a strong enough bite to completely remove a head like that.
Could have been a fox kill and the Badger came and robbed it off the fox.

a badger normally eats typically on the spot where its killed,they do a "peel and spread" where they open the lamb up on the belly side spread it open and just eat all the insides leaving the rest

fodda

As regards Badgers, i have seen a few farmers (in Ireland) blame Badgers for a number of things but with the many millions of feet of film footage on Badgers i have never seen any of one chasing and killing lambs or infact can find any on the internet in a quick search or any of a Badger chasing and killing anything ......strange that.

johno2

fodda wrote: »

As regards Badgers, i have seen a few farmers (in Ireland) blame Badgers for a number of things but with the many millions of feet of film footage on Badgers i have never seen any of one chasing and killing lambs or infact can find any on the internet in a quick search or any of a Badger chasing and killing anything ......strange that.

I agree with you. They're too short-sighted and not fast enough for hunting like that. But they will eat carrion, and if a farmer sees a badger tearing away at a carcass he'll form his own opinion.

johno

landkeeper

fodda wrote: »

As regards Badgers, i have seen a few farmers (in Ireland) blame Badgers for a number of things but with the many millions of feet of film footage on Badgers i have never seen any of one chasing and killing lambs or infact can find any on the internet in a quick search or any of a Badger chasing and killing anything ......strange that.

and i've never actually seen a fox chase and kill a lamb either ,rabbits yes pheasants yes i even had one dash in and pick up a pigeon from amongst decoys , but i have had a dozen and a half marran hens killed one night in a pen by a badger in the past , also had one break into a pheasant catcher in broad daylight and slaughter the occupants mr badger is just as destructive at times as mr fox belive me
a big fat sleeping lamb with a belly full of milk is an easy target for even a bumbling brock especially in a field where there are lots to choose from
but i would hazard a guess that the lamb was probably dead allready

pedroeibar1

Has to be something big as there are no clawmarks.
Wrong time of year for orthodox religious cults, unless they're going to put the head in the freezer:D
P.

SeaFields

Know a farmer who was losing lambs up until Sunday. Think he lost 4 altogether in last fortnight. Each morning head gone off a twin lamb. Big dog fox was shot there Sunday night.

kay 9

I'd be farely sure was a dog fox. Seen it many times with headless lambs. Only thing is that there is no marks almost on the neck and its very clean.
Interesting...

fletch...

Interesting, I have in the past found a few fox cubs on a Dublin golfcourse i work on, exactly the same with head and tail cleanly bitten (or cut ?) off, but the head and tail would be found way off somewhere els.
But in my case there have been no Badger sightings or signs of badgers around the place So was thinking it could be some territorial behaviour between foxes?

kay 9

fletch... wrote: »

Interesting, I have in the past found a few fox cubs on a Dublin golfcourse i work on, exactly the same with head and tail cleanly bitten (or cut ?) off, but the head and tail would be found way off somewhere els.
But in my case there have been no Badger sightings or signs of badgers around the place So was thinking it could be some territorial behaviour between foxes?

Interesting reply Fletch. especially that it was the fox that you seen headless and tailless..

fletch...

kay 9 wrote: »

Interesting reply Fletch. especially that it was the fox that you seen headless and tailless..

Ive dug up some pics of what I found, except there was a few more of em. At first I taught there was someone sneaking in during the night doing it, hence why im interested to find out what really did it!

Torso
http://i41.photobucket.com/albums/e292/fletchercol/drunk%20irirsh%20metal%20heads%20on%20tour/random/19-05-08_1213.jpg

and head

http://i41.photobucket.com/albums/e292/fletchercol/drunk%20irirsh%20metal%20heads%20on%20tour/random/21-05-08_0802.jpg

kay 9

fletch... wrote: »

Ive dug up some pics of what I found, except there was a few more of em. At first I taught there was someone sneaking in during the night doing it, hence why im interested to find out what really did it!

Torso
http://i41.photobucket.com/albums/e292/fletchercol/drunk%20irirsh%20metal%20heads%20on%20tour/random/19-05-08_1213.jpg

and head

http://i41.photobucket.com/albums/e292/fletchercol/drunk%20irirsh%20metal%20heads%20on%20tour/random/21-05-08_0802.jpg

Agree 100%, at first sight and especially as it was repeated, it would have seemed to be some sick joke.

Double Barrel

johngalway wrote: »

Not one of ours, actually it's a UK lamb. Posted on a forum elsewhere, and the poster was wondering what done this lamb in, thoughts? I have my suspicions, and I know what the poster reckons, just want to see what people here think without influencing ye. The head and tail have been removed, the lamb is several days old and was strong.

John,
Big strong lamb. Was probably killed while he was asleep.

Were canine puncture wounds in evidence?
Was this a night or daytime attack and were other lambs killed in the same attack?

It could be a Badger but I think Mr Reynard is the culprit.
Badgers consume their prey in situ at the spot of the kill.

Ghost.

I cant come up with any creative ideas on what killed it. I would think a fox done it. Ive seen chickens that have been killed by fox and just the heads were taken off. Ive never seen it with lambs before.

I just showed my dad the photo of the lamb and asked what he thought killed it. He said he didnt know, he would have thought a fox. But he reckons he has seen lambs killed like that on his farm a couple of years ago. Head and tail missing, like they were just cut off. He never found out what did it.

fodda

Al-Qaeda ? :rolleyes:

murph226

http://www.theirishworld.com/article.asp?SubSection_Id=2&Article_Id=1424

maybe this lot got out of jail early:P

seanybiker

hardly some scummy kids acting the maggot. Fairly clean cut.