Sheep found saddled with 41 pounds of wool is shorn for adoring public

The Washington ComPost ^ | April 26, 2022 | Cathy Free

[Diana in Wisconsin]

Gavin Loxton has more than 5,000 sheep at the high-country farm he runs in Lake Tekapo, New Zealand, so he said it wasn’t surprising that he didn’t notice when one of his lambs was missing about four years ago.

But he definitely noticed when the sheep was found.

After several years on the run, the wayward male Merino was discovered on April 14 hiding in an outcropping of rocks on Mount Edward — which has an elevation 6,765 feet — with almost double his weight in wool.

Shrekapo, as he was nicknamed by residents of the Lake Tekapo township, had so much wool that his fleece had grown over his eyes and left him “wool blind,” said Loxton. Loxton is owner of the Sawdon Station farm and vacation cottages on New Zealand’s South Island.

“If he had fallen over, he’d have rolled straight down,” Loxton said.

After a date with an expert shearer and hand blade, though, Shrekapo — named after a sheep called Shrek that famously escaped shearing for six years — is now much lighter on his feet.

On April 18, one of New Zealand’s champion shearers, Tony Dobbs, cut 41 pounds of wool off the bulky sheep before a crowd of hundreds of Shrekapo fans.

About 300 people turned out to watch the shearing, said Loxton, 50, adding that in his estimation, the discovery of Shrekapo is one of the best events to happen in Lake Tekapo in years.

“Like many towns, we’ve had a shortage of good news stories for a while,” he said. “Shrekapo’s independent streak has given us all something to celebrate.”

[70times7]

Thank you for that Wilde reply!

[Daffynition]

Often, we flock to these stories...Woolly Mammoth: Shearer Saves Hugely Overgrown Sheep

[Daffynition]

[Albion Wilde]

Wow, that sheep had twice as much overgrowth as the sheep in the OP --89 pounds!

[Clemenza]

Most sheep I see are adorned with cloth face diapers rather than wool.

[Ezekiel]

“I was blind but now I see.”

[Daffynition]

Ewe think? It's all a hoax.

[Daffynition]

I'm seeing red.

[M Kehoe]

Hi.

That’s a great way to discourage poaching.

5.56mm

[Daffynition]

*Rejoice with me...*

[Daffynition]

Is it died in the wool or dyed in the wool?

**Teasng**

I'm watching you.

[Fightin Whitey]

Ewe think? It's all a hoax.

Don't be a heel.

[Daffynition]

Huh?

If the *ministry of truth* says it's so....it is.

[Albion Wilde]

[M Kehoe]

Baah.

5.56mm

[Daffynition]

Calling Mike Rowe...it's dirty job fer sure.

[Daffynition]

[x]

I thought the "adoring public" had to be either Australians or perverts.

It happened in New Zealand, so I guess I was right on both counts.

[Albion Wilde]

Thank you for that Wilde reply!

:-)

[HandyDandy]

…….yes sir, yes sir,
Three bags full.
One for the master
One for the dame, and
One for the little boy who lived in the lane.