Local peatland researcher confirms a notorious Yorkshire bog is consuming sheep at an alarming rate

A researcher from the National Peatland Research Institute has confirmed suspicions that a notorious bog near the Yorkshire Three Peaks trail has been consuming vast quantities of sheep after he decided to stick his Russian Corer in for a laugh. 

The Three Peaks Challenge is a popular 24-mile walk over Pen-y-ghent, Whernside and Ingleborough which previously crossed the infamous Black Dub Moss bog, referred to by locals as “the child catcher.” The team had previously been extracting peat cores around the Pen-y-ghent area which will be used in a tephra dating project, described by the researcher as an “exiting but mammoth undertaking.” 

He added: “Luckily we have an abundance of bright-eyed undergraduates itching to spend the duration of their dissertation staring down a microscope at some old volcanic ash: the odd bit of sheep just spices it up a little.”

“We thought we’d have a poke around this well-known blackspot for sheep disappearances and what do you know, the things full of them. No wonder the EU has to prop up the UK sheep farming industry when sheep could be vanishing daily in bogs across the country.”

Nature's cattle grid

Local farmers formed suspicions about the bog after one farmer lost his tractor without a trace when it became stuck in the area overnight. He estimates the bog may extend down to bedrock following a joint experiment with the researcher using waste tyres as dummy sheep. A conservative estimate of 2 sph (sheep per hour) was suggested, assuming a consistent supply of sheep and average rainfall, which aids digestion.

The Three Peaks walk was recently diverted to avoid the bog and make the walk more child friendly whilst the bog’s feeding habits are fully investigated.

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