Rams are powerful beasts that can cause significant injury. Here's what you need to be aware of in their presence and what to do if charged.
A ram believed to have killed a rural Auckland couple also went after their son, who held the beast in a headlock and called for help.
The son of Alfred Helge Hansen and Gaye Carole Hansen went searching for his parents in the paddock of their Anzac Valley Rd hobby farm after he couldn’t find them inside their home.
He found his mother and her husband dead and was then confronted by the ram, nephew Dean Burrell told Stuff.
“He himself was attacked by this ram from behind. He managed to get it into a headlock and closed the gate and went back to his mum.
Police are investigating the deaths of the couple at their rural West Auckland property. Photo / Jason Oxenham
“The ram busted through the electric fence and attacked them again so he called the cops.”
Police confirmed on Thursday that a “ram was in the paddock at the time we were notified of the deaths at 7.30am today”.
“Another party at the scene suffered a minor injury after being attacked by this ram,” police said.
The attack has left family members in shock. Police were confronted by the rogue ram in a paddock when arriving at the property, before shooting it dead.
“Once our staff arrived at the scene they, too, were confronted and approached by the ram. On undertaking a risk assessment, the ram was shot and died at the scene.”
Police at the Anzac Valley Rd property in West Auckland after the couple were killed by a ram. Photo / Jason Oxenham
“Police are continuing to investigate on behalf of the coroner, to establish the full set of circumstances around what occurred in the paddock,” police said on Thursday.
“As part of this process, post-mortem examinations are due to be carried out [on Friday].”
The scene examination has now been completed, police said.
The Herald earlier reported the pair were found dead in the paddock by their son, who went looking for them on Thursday morning after he hadn’t heard from them, a family spokesman said.
Police at the property in West Auckland after the deaths of Alfred and Gay Hansen. Photo / Jason Oxenham
Burrell said it was his mother’s sister and her husband who died. He said the couple were both in their early 80s, retired, and had lived at the property for eight years.
“Unfortunately, they both lost their lives in a tragic accident. They are nice people and didn’t deserve this.
“Everyone’s in shock as to what’s happened. They’re very upset. I feel like I was dreaming it actually, it was a bit of shock, being told what had happened and I just didn’t believe it.”
Burrell’s father had phoned him to tell him the news.
“So I’ve come down here to support my cousins and the wider family.”
