Page:The Kea, a New Zealand problem (1909).pdf/89

Rh along until blood-poisoning, caused by filth and exposure, sets in, and the unfortunate beast lies down and gives up the struggle. The animals must suffer very severe torture as they wander about, the large wound exposing the flesh to insects and to extremes of weather.

This method of killing accounts for the number of sheep that are found in the paddocks at shearing time, wounded or dead, with nothing but a scar showing on their rumps.

While staying at the Mt. Algidus Station, I was fortunate enough to see three sheep that had been attacked in this way by the Keas.

On the Top Flat, near the base of the Rolleston Range, on a large terrace sloping down to the Mathias River, we found a splendid merino ram, lying dead just where two wire fences met at right angles. It looked as if the sheep had been cornered there and wounded.

There was an ugly wound on the rump about eleven inches from the base of the tail, the gash measuring four inches by five in width and about two inches deep. One half had been torn down to the sinews, while the lower half was eaten down to the bone; the body cavity, though just pierced, did not seem to have been disturbed. From all appearances the animal had died from blood-poisoning and exhaustion, as the wound was very black and dirty.

Just near this, belonging to the same mob, we found a live ram running about with the others, with a dirty gash on its rump, in a situation similar to that of the wound in the other animal.

The wound was V-shaped, and along the sides it measured four inches by six inches. It had partly healed, but was festering very badly, so that there was very little hope for the unfortunate sheep.

At Lake Coleridge Station, near the homestead, a four-toothed merino ewe was found wandering about with a large circular wound on its back, somewhat nearer the head than in the former cases. It was put into the yards to await my arrival, but it died before morning. The wound was four inches by three in size, and had just entered the body cavity.