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Wednesday, April 9, 2014
Armed robber fished out of Cowichan Lake Ross Armour
News Leader Pictorial
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Ashley Degraaf
This momma gave birth to quadruplets on St. Paddy’s Day, shocking her owner’s Audrey and John Svetich of Duncan.
March goes out like a lamb — or four of them
Sign of spring? North Cowichan Sheep delivers rare quadruplets Ashley Degraaf
News Leader Pictorial
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udrey Svetich came out to peer into her barn St. Paddy’s Day morning, expecting to gawk at a beautiful newborn lamb. “I said, ‘Aaw, look at the little lamb,’ and (husband John) said, ‘Keep on looking.’” There wasn’t just one. Try four. “I came out real early in the morning, around
3 a.m. and nothing had happened then,” John said. “I came back sometime around 8 a.m. and then there were four.” Twins and triplets are far more common among sheep but farming experts say quadruplets are extremely rare. So rare, that it inspired the Daily Mail in the UK to report on a sheep giving birth to quadruplets not once but twice within in 10 months in 2012. Internet searches on quadruplet lambs show they’re not unheard of but quite out of the ordinary. John and Audrey had no clue their sheep was carrying four babies. “It was quite a shocker for us,” said Audrey. “I’ve asked around and haven’t heard of anyone around here having quadruplet lambs,”
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said John. “I’ve even asked the place where we get feed from and they hadn’t heard of anyone either.” She and John have had a small hobby farm on Cowichan Lake Road for about 32 years. “We got sheep mainly to keep the grass down,” John said. The Svetich’s aren’t new to their sheep having multiples. Last year they saw triplets, although one of the babies died at birth, and the year before twins. The four-year-old momma to the quads, a Dorset/Suffolk cross, wasn’t too thrilled with visitors to her new arrivals. The four fuzzy black beauties — two little rams and two young ewes — however, basked in the attention between feedings.
n armed robbery suspect was plucked out of Cowichan Lake Saturday after a robbery in Youbou. On April 5, at about 4:30 p.m., a hooded male with a balaclava covering his face entered the Shop and Save convenience store with a chisel and demanded money. “After pushing the female store owner (Rose Steven) out of the way, the suspect stole the cash drawer from the register and fled the scene on foot,” said Lake Cowichan RCMP Const. Grant Desmet in a press release. “The store owner’s husband (Kerry Steven) witnessed the robbery and chased after the male as he ran from the scene. The suspect was located a short distance away trying to hide in a yard but when discovered he decided to jump into the lake and swim out to a nearby log boom.” The male surrendered to police as they reached him and the cash was retrieved. “The suspect had thrown the weapon used in the robbery into Cowichan Lake,” wrote Desmet, who was the lead investigator and was at the scene immediately. “It was later recovered by the RCMP Dive Team. “Duncan resident, (Travis) Katzel, age 20, is in custody charged with robbery, disguise with intent to commit an indictable offence and mischief under $5,000. After further investigation, police are also recommending a charge of assault and failing to comply with a condition of an undertaking. Katzel appeared in Duncan court on April 7 and was remanded into custody.” Store owner Rose said Katzel originally entered the store with two other males. “Three of them came in, with one of them engaging me, and then they left,” said Steven. “About half an hour later, Katzel came back in and threatened to stab me. He took the whole cash drawer in one hand and the weapon in the other and ran off, raising his leg at waist height to kick the door open as his hands were full. “My husband, Kerry, witnessed the robbery as (Katzel) stood over me and threatened to stab me. Once he realized I was safe, he ran after the guy and went outside to get help.” Desmet gave credit to the swift action of the store owners and nearby residents.
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