On July 23 in Ili, Xinjiang, a flock of sheep surrounded a brown SUV and continuously walked in circles around it, blocking traffic. Despite the owner’s efforts to wave them away, the sheep wouldn’t budge.

Eyewitnesses said the strange scene lasted about four to five minutes. It wasn’t until the owner forcibly drove away the lead sheep that the rest of the flock stopped circling.

While the behaviour appeared puzzling, it actually reflects “herd dynamics.” The vehicle’s movement, sounds, and shifting light likely triggered the sheep’s cognitive radar, perceiving it as an unfamiliar threat. As a natural alert response, the sheep formed a circular “defensive formation,” a typical group defence strategy.

Additionally, the flock followed the “lead sheep effect”, once the lead sheep reacted to the disturbance caused by the vehicle, the rest instinctively followed, initiating the circling behaviour.

7月23日，新疆伊犁，羊群围着一辆棕色的越野车不停地转圈阻挡了交通，尽管主人挥手驱赶也无济于事。

目击者介绍，整个过程持续了有四五分钟，最后主人强行把领头羊赶开，羊群才停止转圈。

羊群围着车转，看似迷惑行为，实则暗藏着“群体动力学”。车辆移动时的声响、光影变化，在羊的“认知雷达”里类似陌生威胁，出于“警戒反应”本能，它们聚成环形“防御阵”，这是典型的“集体防御策略”。同时，羊群遵循“领头羊效应”，头羊一动，其余羊便盲从，车辆引发的异动被头羊关注后，整个群体就开启“跟从模式”。

羊群围着车辆转圈阻挡了交通