Run, girl, run! This path has been made for you. Run, girl, run! They’re trying to catch you. Run, girl, run! Running is a victory. Run, girl, run! Beauty lies behind the sheep.
Tiny little variation from Woodkid’s Run Boy Run to fully describe the situation before us. Not every day does a runner encounter a flock of sheep. And even rarer does said runner become an involuntary shepherd, with the flock eagerly trotting behind the stranger with colorful shoes.
This hilarious situation, shrouded in mystery, leaves one question in our minds: What in the animal crossing happened here? I’ll try my best to figure it out, but I must warn you, dear reader, I am not a sheep expert. Best I can do is this pun right here: What do you call it when a sheep jumps at you? A lambush!
Let’s get into it!
More info: Instagram
A flock of over 100 sheep decided to make a random runner their new leader, trotting behind her in an incredible turn of events
Image credits: elea_gram
How would you like to suddenly become the sole carer of over 100 sheep? Sounds like a side quest in an adventure video game, doesn’t it? But a flock of lost sheep in a corner of France decided to attribute such a role to one unsuspecting runner, minding her own business.
Slightly further down the trail was Eleanor Scholz, who’d come from California to explore France with her boyfriend. She was out for a little hike in the countryside close to Puy de Dôme. Suddenly she heard a familiar sound. Looking back, Eleanor saw a flock of sheep happily trotting and baaing along the path.
Eleanor Scholz, who’d arrived in France from California with her boyfriend, was out and about enjoying the countryside when she saw the sheep approaching
Image credits: poleary87
The adorable sight quickly became perplexing as the countless sheep approached her, clearly following a woman dressed in running clothes.
“It took me a moment to understand what I was seeing,” Eleanor told The Dodo. “At first, I thought maybe she was a shepherd, but she wasn’t dressed like any shepherd I’d ever seen, and it seemed unusual that a shepherd would be running.”
Concerned for the woman’s safety, Eleanor got off the trail and stepped behind a tree, calling out to the runner. She noticed the friendly human and stopped by to chat. “When she stopped to talk with me, all of the sheep stopped and waited for her, and that’s when I realized that something truly whimsical was happening,” Eleanor said.
The adorable sight quickly became perplexing, as the person they were following looked far from a regular shepherd
Image credits: elea_gram
The runner believed that the sheep must have gotten lost and that when they saw her run by dressed in some very shiny bright clothing, they decided to follow her as their new leader. The chosen one! The prophecy has been fulfilled! I’m just joking, but it does seem like something out of a fairytale.
While the women were chatting, some of the sheep got curious and approached Eleanor. “Some of them immediately walked over to me, and I was worried they’d start following me instead,” she recalled. “But they stood there patiently while she and I talked. They didn’t seem stressed or particularly winded, it was the funniest thing.”
The runner believed the sheep got lost and, in need of a leader, decided to follow her. While the women chatted, the sheep patiently stood around them
Image credits: elea_gram
The runner devised a little plan as to how she was going to get the sheep home. She recalled seeing some pastures, so she would run back the way she came and hope that their actual owner would call them back.
Considering the sheep all had a painted mark to identify them, it wouldn’t be difficult to ask around and figure out who they belonged to. “She seemed resigned to her new role as shepherdess and left me with the impression that she would figure it out and find somewhere safe for them,” Eleanor said.
“Some of them immediately walked over to me, and I was worried they’d start following me instead,” Eleanor recalled. “It was the funniest thing”
Image credits: Russell James Smith (not the actual photo)
It was time to resume the run. The woman was off, and the sheep eagerly trotted after her once more. “The few sheep who had been checking me out as a possible new shepherd changed their minds when they saw their friends start to leave—ultimately the whole flock stuck together and followed the runner off down the trail,” Eleanor said.
Legend has it that she’s still running with the sheep to this day. But if we go back to being a little bit more serious, we don’t know what happened next. As Eleanor said, “I’d love to know the whole story, but I only got a brief glimpse of her wild sheep encounter and am happy just to have been able to witness it.”
Image credits: DavidGeen (not the actual photo)
Resigning to her role as shepherd, the runner planned to return to the same place where she found the sheep and ask the community who they belonged to
Image credits: karlnorling (not the actual photo)
Eleanor shared the encounter on her Instagram account, garnering an impressive 31.2M views and 1.2M likes since it was posted on September 9, with hundreds of people laughing their socks off.
“She looks like she knows where she’s going… We will follow her,” one wrote. “I am crying HAHAHHAAH it’s like 3 AM and maybe that’s why I can’t stop laughing but this belongs in a movie,” wrote another.
Image credits: Aaron Gustafson (not the actual photo)
As she ran off, her big flock of friends all trotted behind her, their ears happily flopping up and down. Legend has it that they’re still running
Image credits: Bubblejewel96 (not the actual photo)
In another post, she said: “It’s been pretty strange to share an experience that I had by myself with millions of people! It was such a surreal thing to see, I’m glad I’ve been able to share it and bring joy to so many of you.” She hopes that the runner will one day find the video and reach out to give a well-anticipated update.
Image credits: BenGrantham (not the actual photo)
So what could have happened? Let’s look at sheep from a more scientific/psychosocial perspective. According to Sheep 101, sheep have a strong instinct to follow a leader, so when one sheep decides to go somewhere, the rest of the flock usually follows, even if it is not a good decision per se. It’s one that’s hardwired from birth.
As explained by Kim and Chuck Goodling, professional homestead mentors, shepherds, and the founders of the Living with Gotlands blog, sheep will also follow someone they trust and know. Perhaps the runner somehow reminded one of the sheep of their shepherd—as we now know, it only takes one for all to follow.
Image credits: kiwinz (not the actual photo)
Sheep also run when frightened. Quick movements, loud noises, and dogs will all put sheep on the run, so there could have been something that shivered the timbers of the flock.
Sadly, we can’t interview the sheep to get their side of the story since my French is quite baaaa-d.
We wish Eleanor all the best and hope we’ll one day find out how this story ended. For now, all we can say is: All’s wool that ends wool!
Image credits: Trinity Kubassek (not the actual photo)
We’re grateful to Eleanor for sharing the wonderful moment for all of us to chuckle and gaze at in wonderment. Hopefully, the sheep are now home and the runner is running without any more surprise entourages. All in all: All’s wool that ends wool!
You can watch the full video here
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Millions of people got to see and enjoy this encounter, thanks to Eleanor posting it on Instagram. Let us know your thoughts in the comments!
