Ship carrying thousands of sheep capsizes

Footage has captured the horrifying moment a ship carrying flocks of sheep capsized – killing hundreds.

Horrifying footage has captured the moment a commercial livestock ship reportedly carrying two thousand sheep capsized in The Gulf of Aden near Yemen.

The incident, which occurred on April 25, saw flocks of helpless sheep struggling to tread water as local fishermen desperately tried to save them.

Footage shows the vessel tipping as sheep spill out of the sides, desperately trying to find something to hold on to.

They can be heard bleating as swarms of local fishermen do their best to pull them onboard their tiny boats.

The bodies of sheep who drowned can be seen scattered across the water, while others remain trapped inside the overturned vessel.

The can be heard bleating as they struggle to tread water. Picture: Viral Press

According to reports, the ship had departed from Somalia and was heading towards Djibouti when it overturned near the Red Sea.

More than 160 sheep reportedly died in the incident which is believed to be due to overloading.

In 2020, en route to China, New Zealand’s MV Gulf Livestock 1 live export ship capsized in the East China Sea, killing 41 crew members and 5,867 dairy cows.

Others can be seen hanging out of the overturned vessel. Picture: Viral Press

The devastating loss of lives was reportedly caused by a combination of engine problems and rough sea conditions.

A ban on the export of live animals by sea was announced in New Zealand the following year, with its phase-out period ending live export by sea from New Zealand in April 2023.

In 2022, over 15,000 sheep drowned in the Red Sea after a ship crammed with livestock went down.

The vessel had 15,800 sheep on it despite it having a 9,000 capacity when trying to export the animals to Saudi Arabia from the port of Suakin in Sudan. Only 700 of those animals were able to be rescued.

Local fishermen desperately tried to save them. Picture: Viral Press

The lost livestock was estimated to be worth around $4 million.

Just last year, The Australian federal government announced it would end Australia’s live sheep export trade by 2028.

The move was welcomed by animal rights groups, with the RSCPA WA chair Lynne Bradshaw celebrating it as an “historic day for animal welfare in Australia”.

“Australia’s live sheep trade has resulted in multiple animal welfare catastrophes and publicly documented cruelty over the past forty years,” Ms Bradshaw said.

However, WA sheep farmers tasked with carrying out the policy say it will destroy livelihoods and crush regional communities.

Originally published as Ship carrying thousands of sheep capsizes