Video: Wild Sheep Sporting 78 Pounds of Wool Gets Life-Saving Shave

By Tim Binnall

A wild sheep that had amassed a jaw-dropping coat of wool was rescued by an animal sanctuary who provided the creature with a life-saving shave. The wondrous ram was reportedly spotted roaming around a state park in Australia by a bewildered witness who reported the sighting to the Edgar’s Mission animal sanctuary in the town of Lancefield. Workers from the organization quickly located the hard-to-miss sheep, whom they named Baarack, and set about freeing it from the hirsute predicament.

The laborious task ultimately saw a staggering 78 pounds of wool removed from the creature's body. The sanctuary was uncertain as to how the sheep wound up in such a state, but it would appear that the animal's ear had once been tagged, suggesting that it had somehow escaped from a farm long ago. As one might imagine, the enormous coat of wool had made Baarack's life in the wild rather difficult as it was found to be both malnourished and nearly blind due to all of the fur that had obscured its eyes.

Now free of the monstrous coat, Baarack looks like a completely different animal, able to see clearly and showing no signs of any ill-effects from its ordeal aside from a few nicks from the shears that were used to shave it. The intervention from the animal rescue organization undoubtedly saved the sheep's life as it was not only highly vulnerable to predators, but faced increasingly challenges when it came to finding shelter and sustenance.