Social media in Qatar has been abuzz with images and video showing a flock of more than 20 sheep running down a lane of one of the busiest highways in the country.

Different film clips feature the sheep, which are apparently unaccompanied and appear to have escaped, shuffling along Doha’s Salwa Road together in a group yesterday afternoon.

In one video, an unnamed driver who filmed the unusual procession can be heard shouting “mash’Allah” as he and other vehicles pass the woolly commuters.

In a separate video sent to Doha News and taken by Abdulmunim Kelzieh, the driver laughs at the novelty of seeing the sheep heading down Salwa.

It is not known what happened to the animals after they were spotted in the online footage, and if they were safely rescued from the highway.

Theories and jokes

While it is common to see livestock such as camels, goats and sheep on Qatar’s roads, they are usually being transported in the back of a pick-up truck, not running free alongside the traffic.

On Twitter, commenters pointed out that with only around 10 days left of Ramadan and the fast approach of the Eid al Fitr holiday, as well as it being just over a month until Eid Al Adha (festival of the sacrifice), the sheep could have been on their way to Widam’s slaughter houses in nearby Abu Hamour.

https://twitter.com/hooriya13/status/618175415434084352

Because the animals were staying in their lane, some on Facebook joked that the sheep followed better road etiquette than most Doha motorists.

What’s your take on sheep parade? Thoughts?