Rescuers help distressed sheep shed 88 pounds of wool

• Last year, Edgar’s Mission Farm Sanctuary in Australia rescued a sheep in the woods. 
• The sheep was covered with 77 pounds of matted, filthy wool.
• Recently, they rescued another sheep engulfed with 88 lbs of damp wool.

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Farmers shear their sheep’s heavy wool every year to keep them cool and comfortable throughout the summer months.

This centuries-old approach allows humans to use the warm natural fibers of sheep while also keeping the flock healthy by minimizing parasites and sickness.

Sheep that are not shorn might become “rigged,” or trapped on their backs, unable to fight against predators.

Last year, Edgar’s Mission Farm Sanctuary, an Australian non-profit farm rescue organization, rescued Baarack the sheep from a death sentence. The unfortunate creature was discovered alone in the woods, lugging an extra 77 pounds of matted, filthy wool. 

With TLC and breed knowledge, the non-profit was able to treat Baarack, allowing him to relocate to the sanctuary with his new flock.

They are now faced with a new task! A local bushwalker was out in the woods when they came across a sheep that rivaled Baarack. The male sheep was so engulfed in his own wool that he couldn’t get food or drink. He couldn’t walk and had lain down waiting for death when the walker discovered him.

Edgar’s Mission was dispatched to the location. They promptly loaded the sheep, whose they named Alex, into their van and drove to the farm to work on him. Workers at the Sanctuary admit to having a sense of déjà vu when they hiked Mt. Alexander to rescue Alex.

Rescuers weren’t confident that Alex would be capable of surviving the shearing, but when they gazed into his eyes, they saw a spark of life.

 With considerable delicacy and a tender touch, they were able to take 88 pounds of damp wool from the sheep.

“Once back at sanctuary the arduous task to removing that fleece, sodden with rain, urine, twigs, bark, beetles, and maggots, began,” the rescuers said. “A fleece so mattered and dense that it stubbornly refused to cede to the shears. But somehow it miraculously did. All 40 kgs of it!”

Alex is coping with life without his huge coat so far. He wears a jacket to be warm, and he blends in well with his pasture buddies. Hopefully, he’ll heal completely and never have to struggle in the wilderness again!

Source: Inspire More