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Ram Makes Sheepish Exit After Breaking Into Home

By Matt Kroschel

GEORGETOWN, Colo. (CBS4) - People who call the mountains home are used to seeing wildlife, but not indoors. What seemed like a smash and grab wasn't the work of a would-be thief but actually a wild animal. Now the destruction to one man's home has become legend.

Rance Massey said he was alerted to a possible burglary at his weekend home in Georgetown. It didn't take long for wildlife experts to confirm it wasn't a crook, but a bighorn sheep that broke in.

bighorn sheep2
(credit: Rance Massey)

Wildlife experts believe the sheep didn't like his reflection in the lower ground windows, proceeded to butt through a large window and fell inside the lower-level entertainment room. Once inside, the sheep was stuck and couldn't get back out of the home for what seemed like quite a while, considering the damage.

"We have had bears before outside but never could I believe this would happen in my house," said Massey.

Massey and neighbors used vacuums and buckets to clean up the broken glass from where the animal made his grand entrance and sheepish exit.

"He did go back out the same hole," said Massey.

sheep damage
The damage to Rance Massey's home (credit: CBS)

Wildlife experts weren't sure at first what kind of animal it was that broke in.

"Thought it was a mountain lion to start with but the pantry was left untouched. If it had been a mountain lion it would have been looking for food," said Massey.

Colorado Parks and Wildlife collected hair and blood samples and are confident the animal is a male bighorn sheep.

Massey recently took pictures of a herd of bighorn sheep in his driveway. He believes one of those sheep must be responsible.

bighorn sheep
(credit: Rance Massey)

Matt Kroschel covers news throughout Colorado working from the CBS4 Mountain Newsroom. Send story ideas to mrkroschel@cbs.com and connect with him on Twitter @Matt_Kroschel.

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