Ram on the lam after a ding dong

A ram on the lam in New Plymouth appears to have escaped from a suburban garden before busting out of the city’s animal pound.

The ram, known as Duggy, was brought in from the Huatoki Walkway, in the Glenpark area of the city, on Monday night after complaints that he was roaming on the pathway and had tried to butt walkers.

A New Plymouth District Council (NPDC) spokesman said Duggy was taken to its animal shelter, on Rifle Range Rd, but the following day made a dash from the pound’s paddock and escaped.

It is thought the ram is somewhere in the Waiwhakaiho area, and anyone who spots him is being urged to call NPDC rather make any approach.

On Monday evening, he had visited the home of Linda Moeller, in Sycamore Grove. She heard a bleating at the door and opened it to find the ram on her doorstep.

‘‘He pushed his way in,’’ she said. ‘‘He just came into the house as if he was a dog.

‘‘I was laughing. He almost jumped up on my couch.’’

Moeller said the ram was ‘‘friendly as anything’’ and obviously quite happy to be around humans. ‘‘He’s a lovely boy.’’

However, he did try to butt her when she pushed him towards the door.

Once she got him outside, Duggy stood at the door bleating for several minutes, as if he wanted to be let back in.

He then ate the heads of some of her flowers before making his way down Sycamore Grove towards Lower Vogeltown.

Moeller said the ram was a familiar sight in the area. Quite a few times she had seen a man and a dog walking along the street with Duggy following close behind. ‘‘It’s quite a funny sight.’’

After Duggy left her house, she saw a couple of neighbours trying to feed him Weet-Bix, but said she did not know what happened to him after that.