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Asharq Al-Awsat
Asharq Al-Awsat
Lifestyle
London, Melbourne- Asharq Al-Awsat

Australian Sheep Gets Rid of 35 kg of Wool

Baarack before and after: The long-lost sheep sheds a big load but gets a lot of love. —EDGAR’S MISSION INC./HANDOUT VIA REUTERS

A wild sheep found wandering the wilderness of the Australian bush has been sheared of a huge 35-kilogram wool coat after an estimated five years of unchecked growth.

Baarack was spotted in a Victorian state forest and taken to an animal rescue sanctuary north of Melbourne, the group said on Facebook earlier this month.

"I couldn't believe there was actually a sheep alive under all of that wool," Pam Ahern, founder of Edgar's Mission Farm Sanctuary, told Nine News. "I think he has been a cheeky little rascal of a young lamb who's just wandered off and never came back. The sheep's matted coat had been growing uncut for close to five years," Ahern estimated.

Sheep should have a haircut at least once a year or most will not last long in the wild, particularly in Australia's often harsh and dry summers. Despite Baarack's hefty locks, he falls short of the world record held by a late compatriot, Chris, who made headlines when he was shorn of a 41-kilogram mane in 2015.

Baarack's transformation from hulking mass to fresh face has nevertheless given him a new fleece of life, with his overhaul racking up millions of views on TikTok.

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