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Melbourne, September 3
A giant Australian sheep today yielded 40 kg of wool following a hair cut by five shearers, setting a new unofficial world record, media reported today.
Chris, the overgrown sheep was discovered on the northern outskirts of Canberra yesterday as it was struggling to walk due to the weight of his coat.
The animal set an “unofficial” world record for the heaviest fleece removed in one shearing, smashing the previous world record by a sheep in New Zealand whose fleece weighed 27 kg, the Royal Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (RSPCA) was quoted as saying ABC News.
The sheep was so woolly that its life was at risk as such animals can develop serious medical conditions if they are not regularly shorn.
It underwent a risky shearing operation to remove 40.45 kg of wool, almost half of its weight as it weighed in at 44 kg after the shearing process was finished.
The animal had to be sedated during the shearing process as vets were worried that the animal could die from shock.
The RSPCA estimates the sheep, which could barely walk due to the mass of wool, had not been shorn in more than five years. An average fleece that has not been shorn for 12 months weighs about 5 kg and takes three minutes to shear.
It took four-time Australian Shearing Championship winner Ian Elkins and four helpers 42 minutes to shear the sheep.
“It was a challenge but the sheep was calm and the vets gave it a mild sedation before we started the shear. We started on the belly, just laid it on its back, kept it comfortable," Elkins said.
RSPCA Chief Tammy Ven Dange said she was pleased with how smoothly the shearing process went.
“He's a Merino sheep, and he needs to be sheared all the time, they're bred for that specifically, so if you don't do it this is what happens," she said. — PTI
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