Police are looking for a man who was seen with two teenagers chasing a sheep until it fell off a cliff in Cornwall.
Upset tourists could only watch on as the sheep plummeted on the rocks below in Polly Joke, near Newquay.
Locals confronted the suspects and one of them is alleged to have become aggressive back on July 27.
Devon and Cornwall Police’s Rural Affairs team is working closely with local neighbourhood officers to investigate.
Sign up for all of the latest stories
Start your day informed with Metro’s News Updates newsletter or get Breaking News alerts the moment it happens.
Sergeant Jones said: ‘We know this incident has had a huge impact on the local community and we can’t imagine why anyone would willingly chase or harm an innocent animal.
‘Behaviour like this is unacceptable and we are determined to bring those responsible to justice.
‘We believe there were a number of witnesses who haven’t yet come forward but could help with our enquiries. If you were in the area and saw what happened, please come forward.’
Meanwhile, in neighbouring Dorset, a church turned to a flock of sheep to help fight their out-of-control graveyard weeds.
Vicar Andrew Rowland welcomed his new flock of four North Ronaldsay rams at St Wolfrida’s Church in the village of Horton, Dorset.
The cash-strapped church is saving up £300,000 for building repairs after its timbers were infested by deathwatch beetles.
The congregation could not afford to hire a gardener to maintain the 1.5-acre grounds around its World War One graves.
For the Cornish incident, anyone with information is urged to contact police via the force website or by calling 101.
