Missing sheep found after two weeks

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ORRINGTON, Maine, March 15 (UPI) -- Authorities in Maine said a ram was found and returned to its home two weeks after wandering off and being presumed killed by predators.

Carla Damon, animal control officer for Orrington and Clifton, said the 2-year-old ram wandered away from a family farm and livestock business about two weeks ago and had been presumed dead when search efforts were unsuccessful, the Bangor (Maine) Daily News reported Friday.

A motorist spotted the ram Thursday and reported it as an alpaca sighting, Damon said.

"To be honest with you, I'm kind of surprised that the ram survived all this time with the expanding coyote population we have around here," she said. "We all were afraid he was coyote food.

"They called me because the officers weren't 100 percent sure how to handle the situation," she said with a chuckle. "Apparently that wasn't covered at the police academy."

Damon and some officers were eventually able to corral the ram into Damon's van.

She said the animal was returned home Thursday.

"He has lost a lot of weight," Damon said. "I'm guessing he survived on the grass that's come out from the melted snow and there are plenty of puddles around from rain and melted snow. He's lucky to still be alive, let alone in pretty fair shape."