A video of a sheep appearing elated to be greeted by their beloved human friend has gone viral on Instagram.
The clip was shared by Millington's Magical Barn (@millingtonsmagicalbarn), a nonprofit animal sanctuary in West Yorkshire, England, in the U.K. The footage has had more than 18 million views since it was posted on February 7.
A message overlaid on the video reads: "POV [point of view]: You've been waiting for your favorite person all day."
The footage shows a sheep standing behind a wired fence outdoors, with its tail wagging furiously. As the camera zooms in on the sheep, a hand is shown caressing its head, while its tail continues to wag.
A caption shared with the post reads: "Did you know sheep wag their tails when they're happy?"
Sheep Are More Social Than You Might Think
The moment captured in the viral clip may be surprising to some. However, sheep are more social than you might realize and "are likely to be more intelligent than generally regarded," veterinarians Gary M. Landsberg and Sagi Denenberg noted in an article for the MSD Veterinary Manual (MVM).
"Sheep possess specialized neural mechanisms in the right temporal and frontal lobes of the brain and may recognize familiar human or ovine faces" for as long as two years, the veterinarians said.
Sheep "respond readily to food calls, may problem solve, learn their names, carry packs, and can even be clicker trained," Landsberg and Denenberg added.
As a prey species, sheep's only defense mechanism is to flee. An "intensely gregarious social instinct" allows them to bond closely to other sheep, preferably to related flock members, according to Landsberg and Denenberg.
Flock dynamics come into play in groups of four or more sheep and is demonstrated by their willingness to follow a leader or flee in unison, the veterinarians said.
Ewes tend to stay in maternal groups for life, while rams may form "transient, unstable, and easily disbanded bachelor herds." If the majority of the rams in a group die due to fights or diseases, those remaining will join another group, Landsberg and Denenberg said.
Separation from the flock can cause stress and panic, while isolation from other sheep can led to severe stress, the veterinarians added.
'Big Grass Puppies'
Instagram users adored the sheep's reaction in the latest viral clip, with clairepraska writing: "I'm sorry, but that's a dog."
User sarah_rom posted, "Absolutely adorable!" while preethip wrote: "They're just big grass puppies."
User asian_cannabis agreed, commenting: "Fluffy cloud puppy of the grass lands of the world." And koch_4_ added: "The tail is the only giveaway."
Newsweek has contacted the original poster for comment via Instagram. This video has not been independently verified.
Do you have funny and adorable videos or pictures of your pet you want to share? Send them to life@newsweek.com with some details about your best friend, and they could appear in our Pet of the Week lineup.
Uncommon Knowledge
Newsweek is committed to challenging conventional wisdom and finding connections in the search for common ground.
Newsweek is committed to challenging conventional wisdom and finding connections in the search for common ground.
About the writer
Soo Kim is a Newsweek reporter based in London, U.K. She covers various lifestyle stories, specializing in travel and health.
Soo ... Read more
