West Auckland ram attack: Aggressive animal confronted police and was shot dead in paddock with dead Waitākere couple

A rogue ram believed to have killed an elderly couple in West Auckland confronted police officers in a paddock before it was shot dead.

Police confirmed in a statement to news media this evening that a “ram was in the paddock at the time we were notified of the deaths at 7.30am today”.

“Another party at the scene suffered a minor injury after being attacked by this ram,” police said.

“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 said they are continuing to investigate the couple’s deaths at the Waitākere property on Anzac Valley Road.

“Police are 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 tomorrow.”

A scene examination has been ongoing today and has now been completed, police said.

The Herald earlier reported that the pair were found dead in the paddock by their son who went looking for them this morning after he hadn’t heard from them, a family spokesman said.

Family member Dean Burrell said it was his mother’s sister and her husband who died. He said the couple were both in their early 80s, retired, and had lived at the property for eight years.

Police at the Anzac Valley Road property in West Auckland after a couple were believed killed by a ram. Photo / Jason Oxenham

Police at the property in West Auckland after the deaths of two people. Photo / Jason Oxenham

“Unfortunately, they both lost their lives in a tragic accident. They are nice people and didn’t deserve this.

“Everyone’s in shock as to what’s happened. They’re very upset. I feel like I was dreaming it actually, it was a bit of shock, being told what had happened and I just didn’t believe it.”

Burrell’s father had phoned him to tell him the news.

“So I’ve come down here to support my cousins and the wider family.”

It is understood police believe the man went out to check on the ram and did not return. His wife later went out to check and did not return.

Family member Dean Burrell speaks to the media after a ram killed his aunt and her husband at a West Auckland property. Photo / Jason Oxenham

Burrell said the couple were hobby farmers.

”They had some sheep, some chickens and some cattle I believe.”

“Two people have been located deceased in a paddock at the Anzac Valley Rd property,” police said.

One neighbour who did not wish to be named told the Herald she saw the police shoot the ram.

“I saw them shoot the ram, and I put two and two together.”

She said the couple were lovely and genuine people enjoying their retirement.

Another neighbour said it was not unusual to see the pair attending to their sheep.

“He was an active person - he goes and checks his stock maybe twice a day, morning and night,” he said.

“He was always out there, feeding chickens, cutting firewood, cutting trees.”

One neighbour said hand-reared rams can be unpredictable and aggressive creatures.

“Never have one, people need to know. Never trust a hand-reared ram,” she said.

Police at the Anzac Valley Road property in West Auckland after the deaths of two people. Photo / Jason Oxenham

Another neighbour who has known the elderly couple for many years and who asked not to be named described them as a “very quiet couple”.

He said he was unaware they had a ram on the property but he knew they ran sheep on the lifestyle block.

The neighbour said the man who lived at the property had been farming all his life.

”He was a very good stockman,” the neighbour said.

The neighbour said he was very surprised to hear the couple may have been killed by a ram given their experience with animals.

There were several police vehicles parked down a long driveway at the property.

Police at the Anzac Valley Road property. Photo / Jason Oxenham

Police officers were seen carrying bags as they walked towards the road away from the property.

The address on Anzac Valley Rd has a two-storey house on the property, and six people were gathered on the deck of the building today.

A neighbour who lives across the road from where the bodies were found said her husband took their dog for a walk this morning only to be confronted with a large number of police and an ambulance in the property, a lifestyle block.

They did not hear anything overnight before police arrived, she said.