Talk about a lousy day. After a French sheep farmer lost 14 members of his flock to a drone that spooked them over a ravine, the hapless shepherd was then beaten and himself charged by the pilot, who became infuriated at the harassing UAV being bashed as payback.
The mass-death-by-buzzing occurred in Alpe d’Huez, a mountainous area favored by skiers in winter, and hikers and other outdoor enthusiasts when the snow has gone. It’s also a traditional grazing region for French sheep breeders like Félix Portello, who this summer watched in horror as 14 members of his 1,500 herd stampeded off and over a ravine in fear of a harassing drone.
According a report this week by French daily Le Parisien, the incident took place August 11 during a period shepherds hate most: prime grazing season coinciding with an influx of vacationers. This year, tragically, one of those had a drone – and was a crap-heel to boot.
“That drone killed more sheep than wolves…
