A STUDENT had sex with a sheep because he was stressed about his exams, he told police.

The 23-year-old computer engineering major was caught with a ewe in a barn on his California university campus.

A passing student heard noises coming from the agricultural department barn at 3.30am on Tuesday.

Fresno State caretakers said the sheep was being treated by a local vet, ABC7 reported.

Student Marisa Burkdoll, who helps care for the campus horses, said the incident was “sick”.

“It’s just kind of disgusting and revolting and personally makes me angry,” she said. “I mean why would you do that?”

The student responsible was charged with sexual assault of an animal at Fresno County Jail, and has since been released.

Baaaaa means baaaaa. — Fresno State Sheep (@FresnoStSheep) November 14, 2014

He told the authorities he had been drinking, and was worried about his midterm exams.

Parody Twitter account Fresno State Sheep has already been set up, with its first tweet announcing that “Baa means baa”.

Other users joined in with the fun, with one observing that it was “a story that would make you go ‘ewe’”.

But many did not find the act so funny, with students who work at the sheep barn saying they were repulsed.

They have been banned from saying any more about the incident, which involved one of the ewes raised for breeding.