Unexpected ram chases Thunder Bay cyclist
Ozzy the Icelandic ram was just trying to make a friend
Photo by:
Keith Ailey/Instagram
While cyclists on the road tend to see fewer animals than those riding through trails, the occasional creature does make its way onto the pavement. For example, last October some Australian cyclists encountered an Ostrich that was keen to join in on their ride.
RELATED: Watch: Uninvited ostrich joins group ride, doesn’t even pull through
In Canada, cyclists in rural areas need to keep their eyes open for angry moose, but what should you do when you spot a ram joining in on your ride (and pushing the pace quite a bit)?
Black sheep
Avid Thunder Bay cyclist Keith Ailey was riding on Townline Road, just west of the city when he was joined by some unexpected company.
“Little company on my ride today,” says the cyclist as the ram chases behind him. “It’s a black sheep—he’s pretty quick too!”
“He’s gonna make me do an interval here,” Ailey jokes. The ram replied with a “baa.”
“As soon as I went past him, he did a full-on sprint,” he told the CBC. “He was kind of charging and making some, some grunts, or pretty deep baas at the very least.”
The ram followed along briskly for a good kilometre, until a truck (waved down by Ailey) distracted it and Ailey was able to ride away.
Ozzy the Sheep Thing
The ram, as it turns out, was not just a random farm animal. Julie Grgurich is the owner of Ozzy, the shaggy cloven beast, who she says is “the sweetest creature on earth.”
Just under two years old, Ozzy is a recently adopted Icelandic ram. “He’s so in love with people, he has no idea that he is actually a ram,” Grgurich told the CBC.
“We got him as a friend for our other sheep here and they have zero connection. He only connects with humans. If he sees a person he’s right there with you,” she explains—likely the reason Ozzy chased after Ailey.
The ram had wandered away after being unsupervised for only a few minutes, so Grgurich is planning to keep a closer eye on him. “I probably have to close my gate when he’s loose,” she says, “that’s one thing I’m going to have to think about.”
