Feeling lonely in lockdown? Try hugging a sheep

Hattingen (Germany) - Visitors have to book an appointment, but can get as close as they like to the shaggy sheep

A German farm is offering people who are feeling deprived of human contact due to coronavirus restrictions an unusual alternative: the opportunity to cuddle a sheep.

“We have marvellous sheep here who like it very much if they get visitors,” said Lexa Voss, who runs an educational programme on a farm near Hattingen in western Germany to encourage people to get closer to animals.

“At the moment we avoid being close to each other. We are always at a distance.” she said. “To be honest, I always walk by sheep pastures and they run away. And here it is very different. It’s great.”