Red Sheep of Scotland

"Do Androids Dream of Painted Sheep?"

Could it be a new art form? Painting live sheep and cattle in bright, brilliant colors might become the next big fad in Scotland. One farmer painted his flock of sheep (grazing on a pasture just off M-8 highway at Bathgate in West Lothian) bright red , aiming to entertain passing motorists and to "spice things up" a little. Well, everybody liked the view so much that it became an attraction in itself, and now they even consider using different colors, such as pink. The animals apparently do not mind being sprayed with animal-friendly dye, and will remain red until sheared.


(image credit: BBC)




(images credit: Yodas [flickr])

This colorful tradition is ages old in Ireland and Scotland, where farmers were painting sheep red, or marking them with color - to make them easier to find.




(image credit: ladyanne47)

Apparently they are also doing it in India:


(image credit: S. Nobel [flickr])

In July 2003, Britain's "most celebrated graffiti artist" Banksy covered a live cow with the images of Andy Warhol's face:


(image credit: Anecdotage)

Not every similar artistic project ends happily. In East Farndon, Northamptonshire, a number of sheep were targeted by a local graffiti gang. The animals were found distressed but uninjured, but this spray-painting attack is being treated as criminal damage by police.

Another victim of graffiti artists (in Russia):



Soccer fans in England are already displaying their patriotic enthusiasm in a similar way:



(image credit: BBC)