China mystery: flock of sheep walk has been walking in a circle for 12 straight days

Dozens of sheep have been spotted walking around in a circle for 12 days straight in China, raising questions about the reason behind their puzzling behavior. 

The flock was captured walking in a continuous, almost-perfect clockwise circle by a surveillance camera on a farm in China’s Inner Mongolia region, The New York Post reported.

Other sheep can also be seen standing to the side, observing the others in the circle. At other points in the footage, a sheep can be seen standing motionless in the center. 

Ms. Miao, the owner of the farm, said the circle began with only a few sheep on November 4 but eventually, the whole flock joined in. 

The video, which was shared by the Chinese state-run news outlet People’s Daily, became viral as people tried to make sense of the flock’s confusing behavior.  

The newspaper said the sheep are healthy but the cause of their behavior is a complete mystery to everyone. It is unclear whether the sheep are even stopping to eat or drink. 

The great sheep mystery! Hundreds of sheep walk in a circle for over 10 days in N China's Inner Mongolia. The sheep are healthy and the reason for the weird behavior is still a mystery. pic.twitter.com/8Jg7yOPmGK

— People's Daily, China (@PDChina) November 16, 2022

Some experts have speculated that the sheep’s behavior is caused by a disease called Listeriosis, known as “circling disease.”

“Initially, affected animals are anorectic, depressed, and disoriented. They may propel themselves into corners, lean against stationary objects, or circle toward the affected side,” according to the Merck Manual. 

However, others say this might not be the case, since animals that catch this disease usually die within 24-48 hours after the symptoms are observed.