Maggie the runaway sheep – whose smelly 55-lb woolly coat kept forest wolves away – has been found dead after eight years of living in the wild.
Alone and unshorn, Maggie had been living between Arnstadt and Crawinkel in the Jonas Valley, situated in the district of Ilm-Kreis in the central German state of Thuringia, since 2014 when she escaped from her herd.
Living free and wild for the last eight years, she grew a massive woolly coat and an army of social media followers.
Her impressive locks were said to repel predators as it was both spongy and extremely pungent.
During her life on the run, Maggie evaded several capture attempts and went on to become an online celebrity, impressing fans with her lust for life and ability to give both shepherds and wolves the slip.
Her own Facebook page featured updates from locals who came across her on their hikes.
The woolly wanderer often approached the roadside to surprise drivers, but always dashed back into the forest for safety.
Christin Bayer, who founded the Facebook page and named the sheep Maggie, said: “I travel to work every day on this road. I named the sheep Maggie as I found it suited her well.
“I decided to create a Facebook page for people to upload pictures of her. It did not take long until users started uploading pictures.”
According to concerned followers, she had been observed limping badly in recent weeks after sustaining an injury to her front left hoof.
In an update on 4th June, Stefan Dudi Wiese shared a photo of the deceased sheep with the message: “Unfortunately, Maggie is dead. Found her today at tunnel group 1-12.”
In the photo, Maggie’s dead body appears in a well-preserved state on the ground.
Seemingly, her pongy protective coat kept away scavengers in death as well as predators in her living years.
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Story By: Lee Bullen, Sub-Editor: Marija Stojkoska, Agency: Newsflash
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