FATE OF LOST SHEEP.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXVIII, Issue 20900, 16 June 1931, Page 9

FATE OF LOST SHEEP.

DEATH IN MOUNTAINS. FLOCK OF 4800 MERINOS. Most., if not all, of the 4800 Merino sheep that disappeared from the hills at the head of the King River, in Australia, last year, perished in the mountains further south, according to the opinion of members''of a party which searched that country for the missing air liner Southern Cloud. The sheep belonged the stud flock of the Messrs. Gorman, at Moomolong, New South Wales, and were taken to the hills during tho drought on the Riverina early last year. In spite of a long search no traces of them could be found when they were sought. Mr. IT. McCormack, a member of tho Southern Cloud search party, says he thinks that the sheep wandered farther into the mountains, and that most of them died. He states that the searchers saw the bones and other remains of many sheep in tho tangled scrub and among the gorges. 1 hey also saw a number of livo sheep, including nine Merino ewes in one mob. Ihese were very wild. A member of the police party which searched for a long time for the 4800 sheep still holds the opinion that tho sheep were stolen. Tho country between the King and Rose Rivers was thoroughly searched by the police, who found the remains of many sheep, probably killed by dingoes, and saw a number of wild sheep.