An old and old sheep found roaming around regional Australia had its 35 kg fleece – an even greater weight than that of the famous New Zealand sheep Shrek, which was captured in 2005 after six years on the loose.
The merino sheep, nicknamed Baarack by the rescuers, was discovered wandering alone in an extraordinarily large wool coat and was promptly shorn to save his life.
Kyle Behrend, of the Edgar’s Mission farm sanctuary, told Reuters he looked like Baarack was “a sheep on his property” who had escaped. Merino sheep do not lose their wool and need to be shorn at least once a year as their wool continues to grow.
The hirsute sheep was found near Lancefield, in Victoria, and rescuers said it “made a living” by eating small grass shoots.
“He had already received an ear mark, however, these appear to have been pulled off by the thick, tangled wool around his face,” said Behrend. “He was a little bad. He was underweight and, due to all the wool around his face, he could barely see. “
Baarack is the latest in a long line of large, woolly sheep that have made international headlines.
In 2005, Shrek became a beloved celebrity in New Zealand after spending six years avoiding being captured and growing to enormous size.
VERY LARGE SHEEP
He ended up being deprived of his 27 kg wool and even met New Zealand’s Prime Minister Helen Clark before dying in 2011.
A 2014 analysis by Guardian Australia estimated that Shrek’s wool could be used to produce 47.3 jumpers.
Based on a 70% yield assumption, Baarack’s wool would be the equivalent of 61.3 wool sweaters or 490 pairs of men’s socks.
Shrek’s legacy lives on in his home country, with TVNZ announcing Baarack’s discovery with the headline: “Lost Australian sheep bring memories of our own Shrek.”
In 2014, another escaped merino sheep, called Shaun, the sheep, was found with a 23.5 kg wool in New Zealand.
And last year, in Australia, a runaway sheep – eventually nicknamed Ewenice – was released from its 20 kg wool after it was discovered in central Victoria.
But all the sheep, including Baarack, are still pale compared to Chris, a Canberran sheep that was found in 2005 with a world record 41 kg wool – twice his body weight.
Chris’s wool was donated to the National Museum of Australia, where it sits in a large display case. The relieved sheep was adopted to live comfortably in a sanctuary until it died in 2019.
Behrend said Baarack had adapted well to his new weight and was accommodating himself with other sheep on the farm.