• A herd of sheep storms a supermarket
• They roamed the aisles before being escorted out

A herd of sheep stormed a German supermarket in the town of Burgsinn, surprising and delighting customers as the animals wandered through the aisles before being removed from the store.

The incident occurred during a routine seasonal migration of the flock, when a group of sheep strayed from the usual route and entered a store belonging to the Penny retail chain.

About 50 sheep were involved in the intrusion.

The company said in a statement: "It was difficult to tell whether the sheep were looking for something specific or just trying to warm themselves," noting that the herd seemed particularly interested in the checkout area where shoppers and staff were present.

Witnesses said that while the sheep avoided the fresh produce, their passage through the store caused chaos in the drinks section, knocking bottles and other items off the shelves.

A video clip showed the sheep bleating while appearing more curious than anxious amid the mess.

After about 20 minutes, the sheep were escorted out of the store and returned to their flock.

The shepherd, Dieter Michler, said he had been moving 500 sheep—ewes and their young—to their winter shelter and believed that some of the sheep had been distracted by acorns on the ground, leading them astray from the main flock.

The company confirmed it does not plan to hold the shepherd liable for damages, instead choosing to capitalize on the nationwide media attention and announced it would provide feed for the 50 runaway sheep for a full year.