Psychic Sheep Saves Shepherd

After a long lull in psychic animal news, a new challenger appears: Alfie, the psychic sheep. But unlike more recent contenders, this one doesn’t predict sports victories—it detects cancer.

MetroUK reports:

Emma Turner was trying to give Alfie his medication when he repeatedly headbutted her in the chest. The five-year-old Cotswold, which is normally well behaved, had to be held down by Ms Turner and two others. When Ms Turner the resulting bruises checked by a doctor, she was found to be in the early stages of breast cancer.

‘The doctors and nurses said that if Alfie hadn’t done what he did, when he did it, I wouldn’t have found the lump for a few years, by which time it would have spread,’ said the 41-year-old. ‘Everyone at the hospital is convinced that Alfie saved my life.’

Following the diagnosis, Ms Turner endured six cycles of chemotherapy over the course of four months. She will now have a mastectomy to remove the tumour. Ms Turner, who works on a farm in Wooton Bassett, Wiltshire, rescued Alfie when his mother died during birth and said he had now repaid the favor. The shepherd has since set up a Facebook page for the psychic sheep, which has attracted hundreds of fans.

‘Alfie is normally really well behaved but that particular day he went nuts and it took three of us to hold him down. A lot of people think what he did was deliberate. It’s very odd because he has never done it since,’ she added.

What do you think—is it possible for animals to detect cancer or other diseases? What is it about animal intuition or behavior that allows them to pick up on human illnesses, or see things outside the realm that human beings usually pick up on?