LANCEFIELD, Au. (WSVN) — Members of an animal sanctuary in Australia rescued an abandoned sheep and shaved off 78 pounds of matted wool.
A good Samaritan spotted the sheep in a forest and brought it to the attention of Edgar’s Mission — a non-profit sanctuary for rescued farm animals.
The sheep, dubbed “Baarack” is believed to have a previous owner as rescuers found that a tag had been torn from his ear.
Kelly Dinham said sheep need shearing at least once a year, according to FOX 13.
Though Baarack seemed to struggle due to the weight of his fleece, rescuers believe he survived “by eating grass and drinking water from puddles.”
“He was underweight, and due to all of the wool around his face he could barely see,” Dinham said. “The weight of the wool too had pulled so much on his lower eyelids that they had sagged… with grit and debris pooling in the gap between his cornea and the lid.”
Dinham said they believe Baarck holds the record for the second-highest recorded weight of fleece.
Baarack continues to recover at the sanctuary.
“He is doing so well today, surprising us really and becoming more trusting too,” Dinham said. “We truly believe that he understands what we have done for him has eased his life and turned it for the better.”
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