Ovis aries

Feral Sheep at Symonston, ACT

Ovis aries at Symonston, ACT - 4 Sep 2024
Ovis aries at Symonston, ACT - 4 Sep 2024
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Identification history

Ovis aries 9 Sep 2024 MichaelMulvaney
Capra hircus 8 Sep 2024 CarbonAI
Ovis aries 8 Sep 2024 RobParnell

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11 comments

   8 Sep 2024
Hi @DonFletcher & @AaronClausen - this is a good example of CarbonAI confirming the ID wrong. It needs to be watched and corrected. Also the sheep may not be feral.
SandraH wrote:
   9 Sep 2024
The adult has an ear tag. The last couple of times i’ve been in Callum Brae i’ve seen sheep - up to 10 in a group. Perhaps escapees from the properties adjoining the reserve
DonFletcher wrote:
   9 Sep 2024
Forwarded to PCS ranger
   9 Sep 2024
I meant with this example to show to moderators that CarbonAI should not be taken for granted and it's confirmations should always be checked.
AaronClausen wrote:
   9 Sep 2024
Thanks @MichaelBedingfield - there are a low number of comparitive species in this case, which is why CarbonAI felt it was confident, we can definitely adjust and tweak this to be more strict.
Mike wrote:
   9 Sep 2024
Frequent occurrence. PCS rangers keep trying to stop them.
   9 Sep 2024
Thanks Aaron
DonFletcher wrote:
   9 Sep 2024
Needs input from us moderators too. EG there is no rare animal like an echidna so Carbon will tend to be right about echidnas, but if there are similar species, rarely seen, to one of the relatively common species, Carbon will ID them all as the common one. For example, sheep are rarely reported but look like goats. Yellow bellied glider will look to a computer like Greater Glider, etc. As the number of sightings increases, Carbon will get better. For example, Carbon is now recognising Ringtailed Possums, formerly lumped with Brushtailed.
AaronClausen wrote:
   9 Sep 2024
Yep spot on @DonFletcher
   9 Sep 2024
If we go to Kangaroo Island, we will have to be careful because of the Kangaroo Island Echidna, an endangered subspecies of the local one. It is Tachyglossus aculeatus multiaculeatus. So CarbonAI will have to be aware of regional variations of species and subspecies that look similar. See:- Tachyglossus aculeatus multiaculeatus
Mike wrote:
   9 Sep 2024
These are straying sheep, not feral. I have chased them back through the fence, but they keep coming back. They have many gaps under the fences.

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Nearby sightings

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Location information

Sighting information

  • 2 Abundance
  • 4 Sep 2024 02:23 PM Recorded on
  • RobParnell Recorded by

Additional information

  • Mixed Gender
  • Dependent young Breeding behaviour
  • Alive / healthy Animal health

Species information

  • Ovis aries Scientific name
  • Feral Sheep Common name
  • Not Sensitive
  • Exotic
  • Non-invasive or negligible
  • Up to 708m Recorded at altitude
  • Machine learning
  • Synonyms

    Ovis ories

Record quality

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  • More than one media file
  • Verified by an expert moderator
  • Nearby sighting(s) of same species
  • GPS evidence of location
  • Description
  • Additional attributes
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