Sheep Drown After Lake Rises

Press, Volume CVIII, Issue 31653, 13 April 1968, Page 1

Sheep Drown After Lake Rises

More than 3000 sheep are believed to have been drowned in the Kaituna-Poranui area as Lake Ellesmere, lashed by the wind, flooded paddocks.

Reports which could not be confirmed yesterday because of the lack of telephone service mentioned Mr A. Birdling, the Aorangi Estate, Mr W. J. H. Coop’s Waitangi

property and the Price family as being heavy losers. Individual losses of 900, 600 and 500 sheep were among the worst tallies. Five years ago, Mr W. J. H. Coop lost 3000 sheep in similar conditions when the animals were caught by a rapid rise in the lake. Yesterday, the lake was level with the top of the old railway embankment, a rise of 6ft to 7ft At Mr J. J. Murdoch's “Tophouse” property at the head of Kaituna Valley, about 15in of rain was recorded since the fall started on Wednesday. Mr G. Burrows, at Kaituna. told a reporter that be had . been lucky to get his dairy herd off a paddock on the lake aide of the Akaroa Highway. “I have never seen the water rise so quickly as it did yesterday afternoon," he said “We had a terrific job to get the cows to move because of the wind, which was strong enough to blow you over.” At the height of the flood on Wednesday afternoon, scores of dead sheep were seen on the highway and caught in fences. Main Roads Stay Open All main roads were kept open for Easter holiday traffic on Thursday and Friday but the number of cars was well down, the Transport Department said in Christchurch yesterday.