Sheep believed to be responsible for the deaths of couple in New Zealand

A sheep is believed to be responsible for the deaths of an elderly New Zealand couple after their bodies were found in a paddock.

The NZ Herald reports the couple, both in their early 80s, were found dead by their son at their rural property at Waitakere, west of Auckland, early on Thursday morning.

He had gone to check on the pair after failing to hear from them.

Police suspect a ram was responsible for the deaths, with the Herald reporting officers had located and killed the animal.

'Two people have been located deceased in a paddock at the Anzac Valley Rd property,' a police spokesman said.

'At this stage the circumstances of the death are unexplained. We are liaising with family at the scene.'

It's understood the man had gone to check on the ram but never returned. His wife then went to check on her husband but she too never made it back to the house. 

Dean Burrell, a nephew and family spokesman, told news outlet Stuff the couple had 'both lost their lives in a tragic accident'.

'They're good people. They're over 80. They don't deserve this,' he said.

'Everyone is in shock as to what's happened. They are very upset.'

Mr Burrell said the couple had not communicated with their family for a couple of days.

'Everyone's in shock as to what's happened. They're very upset. I feel like I was dreaming it actually... being told what had happened and I just didn't believe it.' 

Mr Burrell's father had phoned him to tell him the news.

'So I've come down here to support my cousins and the wider family,' he said.

St John medics attended the property with two ambulances early on Thursday, with a large police presence throughout the day.

A neighbour who has known the elderly couple for many years and asked not to be named described them as a 'very quiet couple,' the NZ Herald reports. 

The neighbour said the man who lived at the property had been farming all his life.

'He was a very good stockman,' the neighbour said.

Animal behaviourist Mark Vette, who has more than 50 years of experience working with animals, said rams are known to attack but it was rare someone would be killed.

'Most people who have farmed at some stage would have had a ram that you've got to be careful of. If you turn your back on them, they'll have a bit of a crack at you at times,' he told Newshub.

'It would be a very rare occasion for a ram to injure someone to that level, but where you can get knocked over and hurt is usually common.

'Getting smashed up against a wall or something, and them hitting you hard with their head, could definitely cause some serious injuries. They are a really powerful animal, so being charged at three or four times would be significant.'

He said it was possible to get 'rogue rams' that either hadn't socialised with humans or had a build up of testosterone.

Mr Vette said rams could cause serious damage even if they didn't appear to have horns, as the base of the horns were still there.