Why are sheep cowardly?

Answer 1

They cannot be described as cowardly as they are not moral beings.

Sheep tend to run away from danger as this is a strategy that has served them well for thousands of years.

Sheep are 'prey' animals. They don't hunt for food, they don't have sharp claws or poison to spray at attackers. They just graze on grass. And there ARE animals, such as dogs and wolves, that will chase and eat sheep.

So if any sheep is born brave, it won't last long in the world. The first wolf it ever stands up to will probably be the last wolf it ever sees. It will be the last THING it ever sees.

So through thousands of generations of sheep, the brave / foolhardy ones are eaten young and the skittish / coward ones live long enough to breed... and they pass on their coward tendencies.

This is true of all prey animals. Zebra, elk, deer, cows. They prefer to stick together (because there's safety in numbers) and they run at the first sign of danger.

but if you keep a sheep as a pet where there are no wolves... tahdah no they are not

Answer 2

This defenselessness may cause it to stand ground against an enemy , or it may run to escape danger. If a coyote gets in the corral , sheep may panic and trample and smother one another in trying to escape.