Stoats Attacking Lambs

Feilding Star, Volume XV, Issue 83, 5 October 1893, Page 3

Stoats Attacking Lambs

The Pahiatua Herald says :— Dunr the past fortnight a sheepfarmer in tl Ticinity of Pahiatua picked up on h property no less than sis dead lambs, a of which bore a puncture under the ca penetrating the jugular vein. The gel tleman aforesaid at once attributed tl blame to stoats and weasels, and a day < two ago had ocular proof of his theor, He was seated on a log in one of his pn< docks, when he saw a stoat trot up to lamb, which, however, made off, followe like a dog by the vicious little anima emitting it peculiar cry. The stoat wi outpaced and turned back, immediate! afterwards tracking another lamb, bt with no better success, as its opponent wa too strong and broke away. The stoi is a protected animal, and therefore might not be safe to record the fate r the particular representative under nott But, with a majority of farmers, we be liere that those insane people who intro duced a curse into the country would b< rightly served if they were treated in aimilar way. For the purpose for whic! they were introduced stoats and weasle have proved a dismal failure, but as de rastators of poultry-yards aud assassin of young lambs they have scored a grea success. In parts of this district the absolutely swarm, and tliere never wa a rabbit near the place. And yet the* pests are protected and it is made a crim inal offence to destroy them. In this pur at ill events the law is more honored ii the breach than in the observance, and i likely to continue to be so.