Caution needed around animals after deaths of elderly couple
Two deaths by suspected ram attack have put the spotlight on the need for caution around unrestrained animals.
Alfred Helge Hansen and Gaye Carole Hansen, aged in their 80s were found dead in a paddock at their Anzac Valley Rd property by a relative who’d gone to check on them on Thursday morning.
It’s understood the husband went to feed the ram, but didn’t return. His wife was killed when she went looking for him.
Police were called to the property just before 7.30am and shot the ram after it “confronted” them.
New Zealand Veterinary Association’s Cristin Dwyer said she couldn’t comment on the incident while it was under investigation. But people should always be cautious around animals they don’t know, especially unrestrained ones, said Dwyer, who is the association’s head of veterinary services for large animals.
Many domestic animals breed during a specific time of year and male animals can be “more aggressive and territorial” due to higher testosterone levels.
“Female animals also experience elevated hormones when caring for their young, which can cause them to become aggressive and protective if they feel threatened.”
Dwyer said if people have questions about animals they’re caring for, or concerns about their behaviour, they should contact their local veterinarian for advice.
Figures show Waikato and Taupō rescue helicopters have been dispatched to very few patients injured by animals in the past eight months.
The Waikato Westpac Rescue Helicopter has been called to three animal-related injuries since August 2023.
All of those have been for horse related injuries.
One in December in Piopio when a person had been kicked by a horse, another in January where a person had fallen off their horse in Hikau and another in Matamata for horse related injuries.