Sheep causes a traffic jam on the A1 near Cologne – drivers rush to the rescue!

Sheep causes a traffic jam on the A1 near Cologne – drivers rush to the rescue!

A completely normal Friday morning drama on the A1 near Cologne-Niehl: This morning around 6 a.m. a determined sheep caused a commotion in rush hour traffic. The sheep strayed onto the highway, which caused numerous drivers to abruptly stop their vehicles to avoid worse accidents. Thanks to the quick reaction of another driver, the uninvited vehicle was caught with a tow rope and brought safely to the hard shoulder. The police received several calls from concerned road users and arrived at the scene a short time later to take care of the animal runaway. The sheep was finally safely handed over to its shepherd in a nearby pasture, where it can enjoy its freedom again.

Such scenes are not the first time that animals have taken over the streets. Recently, a flock of sheep in Braunschweig caused a total closure for around two hours when the shepherd tried to lead his more than 100 sheep over a motorway entrance without knowing about new guardrails. The new security elements blocked the usual path, which put the animals in an awkward position. The police had to intervene here too to guide both the sheep and the shepherd safely to the other side and then to clean the road of sheep droppings before the closure could be lifted. You can imagine how nerve-wracking such situations are for everyone involved - especially for the shepherd, who now has to reckon with cleaning costs, not to mention the excitement caused by the blocked road. landtiere.de reported.

Animals in the modern transport world

Human habitation and the numerous roads that crisscross our country not only impact traffic, but also pose an enormous challenge to wildlife. According to geo.de Wild animals are often severely affected by the changes in nature. In Germany there are over 200,000 accidents with wildlife every year - a worrying number that shows how much road construction disrupts the movement of animals. In the 1950s, the first animal bridges were built in France to provide safe passage for animals over or underpasses, and the need for such measures is becoming increasingly clear in view of the increasing number of accidents in this country.

So building animal bridges could not only protect the lives of animals, but also help drivers avoid accidents. There are currently 37 such bridges in Germany, while 600 are already in operation in the Netherlands - a remarkable example of a good hand in animal and transport policy.