Don't Feed the Sheep!

Throughout our trip we've seen lots of farm animals - in the countryside, in small towns, on the sides of roads, etc. Yesterday we had the opportunity to make friends with a couple of sheep (ovejas). While hiking at Tipon (an archaeological site/ruins) we came across two sheep. Aren't they cute?

I immediately wanted a picture with them and began looking for a way to get up to the next terrace. I was pleased with myself when I reached the next terrace and went to greet the sheep. They were a little skittish. Being the resourceful travelers we are, we decide to entice them with some snacks in order to get a great picture. Here we are in the shameful act... we fed them peanuts and crackers. 

Turns out they loved them! So much so that they wanted more. We figured we should probably chill out and not give them more food than necessary, besides we had already gotten our pictures. So we tossed them a couple of crackers and climbed to the next terrace to sit down and have a snack ourselves. We used some Purell and began to munch on our snacks. 

Less than five minutes had gone by and something caught our attention to our right - the sheep. At the end of one of the terraces, the same one we were sitting and dining on, there stood the two sheep. They looked at us for a minute, heads cocked to one side and let out a long "BAAAHHH" and began charging toward us. We're laughing and shocked and wondering how these dang sheep found us. They reached us and started begging for more. This time we put away the snacks and decided that we would have to get farther away from these sheep. We climb two terraces this time. The steps we used each time were widely spaced rocks - not true steps, so we knew that the sheep could not climb them. We also step back farther away from the edge so the sheep cannot see us. As we are ascending, I'm looking down and the sheep are already looking for a way to get to us, bleating the whole time, as if to say, "Come back with our peanuts" or "We know how to find you!" 

We pause for a few seconds, waiting, trying to figure out where we should head next to loose these clever little creatures. Eric suggests we head to the right and we take a few steps only to run into these two sheep - AGAIN! They say, "BAAAHHH, BAAAHHH" and charge at us again. This time we have to break the bad news. We really can't keep feeding them. We put the snacks away two terraces ago and we weren't about to bring them back out. They sniff us and follow us and beg for more snacks. We really feel like jerks by this point. We can't really get them to stop following us, but we decide not to run anymore - they truly thought it was a game! 

They dejectedly follow us around begging here and there, but clearly see the end of this relationship approaching. Their pace slows and they show less and less interest in us. 

"Thanks for nothing!" 

"We're through!"

So we learned a valuable lesson in why you shouldn't feed wild animals yesterday. We've repented and vow not to let it happen again. Sorry for the messy break-up little guys.... and then another family walks by and in the distance we hear, "BAAAAHHH!"