18 sheep reported missing from Kingley Vale as Nature Reserve issue urgent appeal

18 sheep were reported missing from the nature reserve In Kingley Vale on Sunday, January 22.

A fencepost was removed and one side of the fence enclosing the sheep was also lowered between the time they were checked on Saturday, January 21 and the time they were reported missing.

In a post on Facebook, Kingley Vale National Nature Reserve wrote: “Today, Sunday, January 22 it was identified that 18 sheep are missing. They were last checked at 12:10pm on Saturday, January 21. Between this time, one whole side of the fence was lowered with fencepost removed, and 17 Herdwicks and 1 Dorset Down have all seemingly vanished into thin air.

“A huge thank you to all the volunteers who spent their entire Sunday searching the Nature Reserve, as well as Denmead Drone Search & Rescue who came out with thermal imaging drones to try and locate them. Sadly, they are not to be found anywhere.

“We need the power of Facebook to get these ladies home. Have you seen or heard of any sheep on the loose in the surrounding area? Perhaps you saw a vehicle on the Nature Reserve during the times stated. Any help in locating these girls will be of great help. Please, pass the message on and help us get them back. Someone out there knows something or will have seen them. It is now more important than ever to keep your dogs on a lead, so as not to spook them further if they're still out there.”