Farm carnage: 50 rare sheep slaughtered

Police are looking for a gunman described as a "nasty sadist", after 50 rare sheep were found shot.
Some had also been mauled by a dog, believed to have been with the shooter, and were barely alive when found.
Sheep farmer David Hewitt said he had had trouble sleeping since discovering the massacre last week, fearing the person responsible could return and kill more of the rare breeds.
Because of the value of the sheep, The Daily Post has agreed to keep their location a secret, other than to reveal the farm is north of Rotorua.
An armed police officer had to destroy two ewes and four were killed by Mr Hewitt.
 Rotorua police and the SPCA are keen to find whoever is responsible, with SPCA general manager Nicola Martin calling it the worst animal cruelty she had seen.
Mr Hewitt was devastated at what had happened.
"There were dead sheep all over the place. Normally we would save the meat but we were too sickened by it that we didn't. The ewes had been chewed up so much they couldn't stand up so we had to kill them.
"There are sheep running around with their ears cut off and we have lambs with no mother. It's heartbreaking."
Mr Hewitt has been working with sheep for more than 50 years and has been building up this flock for a few years. Among them are rare Welsh Aran sheep, of which there are now only 16 left in the world. He also has Hebridean sheep and Arran sheep from the Scottish Isle of Arran.
He imported many of them from the Chatham Islands and Pitt Island at a cost of $1000 a sheep. "They're practically extinct - the idea was to build up a new flock.
"Whoever has done this is a nasty sadist. They have tried to inflict maximum cruelty. Some nights I've not been able to sleep - I just want this person found as there's a worry they'll come back."
Rotorua SPCA is caring for three of the lambs - one was shot right through its body and has bullet grazes on its head and legs.
Manager Nicola Martin said it was one of the worst examples of animal cruelty she had seen and if anyone knew the person responsible they should call the police. "It was pretty demoralising - this was Mr Hewitt's life's work," she said. "There were animals with their jaws missing, others running around wounded, lambs starving.
"They're not hunters, nothing more than absolute mongrels who take enjoyment in harming animals.
"They did as much as they could while they were alive and didn't put them out of their misery.
"It was one of the most upsetting things I've ever seen."
She said they were hoping to find foster homes for the lambs so they could be looked after and returned back to Mr Hewitt.
If anyone has any information or has experienced similar cruelty on their farms, they should call Sergeant John Cassidy at Rotorua police on (07) 348 0099.