New Zealand sheep killings: Elderly couple killed by ram on Waitakere hobby farm identified as police reveal they were 'confronted' by animal
- Retired husband and wife found dead
- Police confirm details of investigation
- READ MORE: Sheep believed to be responsible for the deaths of couple in New Zealand
An elderly couple who are believed to have been killed by a sheep on their rural hobby farm have been identified.
Helge and Gaye Hansen, a husband and wife both in their eighties, were found dead on Thursday morning on their Anzac Valley Road property in Waitakere, New Zealand, where they kept sheep, chicken and cattle.
Local police confirmed that a 'ram was in the paddock at the time we were notified of the deaths at 7.30am' on Thursday'.
'Another party at the scene suffered a minor injury after being attacked by this ram.
'Once our staff arrived at the scene they, too, were confronted and approached by the ram. On undertaking a risk assessment, the ram was shot and died at the scene.'
Police officers are pictured carrying evidence bags on the property where a retired couple was found dead
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The owner of Soul Barn, Michelle Mullins, is pictured
The attack shocked both family members and the police who examined the scene on Thursday.
The police said there were 'continuing to investigate on behalf of the coroner, to establish the full set of circumstances around what occurred in the paddock.
'As part of this process, post-mortem examinations are due to be carried out (on Friday).'
The bodies of the elderly couple were discovered by their son, who had gone to check on his parents after not being able to contact them.
It's understood Mr Hansen had gone to check on the ram but never returned. His wife then went to check on her husband but she too never made it back to the house.
Dean Burrell, a nephew and family spokesman, told Stuff it was 'a tragic accident'.
'They're good people. They're over 80. They don't deserve this,' he said.
'Everyone's in shock as to what's happened. They're very upset. I feel like I was dreaming it actually... being told what had happened and I just didn't believe it.'
St John medics attended the property with two ambulances on Thursday to collect the bodies.
A neighbour who has known the elderly couple for many years and asked not to be named, described them as a 'very quiet couple,' the NZ Herald reported.
Police are seen at the home of a couple who were reportedly killed by a ram on their property
Dean Burrell's (pictured) aunt and uncle were killed by a ram on a rural New Zealand property
The neighbour said the man who lived at the property had been farming all his life and 'was a very good stockman'.
Animal behaviourist Mark Vette, who has more than 50 years of experience working with animals, said ram attacks are common but fatal ones very rare.
'Most people who have farmed at some stage would have had a ram that you've got to be careful of. If you turn your back on them, they'll have a bit of a crack at you at times,' he told Newshub.
'It would be a very rare occasion for a ram to injure someone to that level, but where you can get knocked over and hurt is usually common.
St John medics attended the property with two ambulances early on Thursday, with a large police presence throughout the day
'Getting smashed up against a wall or something, and them hitting you hard with their head, could definitely cause some serious injuries. They are a really powerful animal, so being charged at three or four times would be significant.'
He said 'rogue rams' had either not socialised with humans or have an excessive amount of testosterone - which aids their breeding potential.
Mr Vette said rams could cause serious damage even if they do not have visible horns, as the hard base of the horns was still there.
He said elderly people on farms are particularly vulnerable as they are incapable of dodging or jumping to safety to avoid a charging ram.
