Woolly windfall off shorn Shaun

27 August 2014 - 02:15 By ©The Daily Telegraph
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SHAGGY SHAUN: World record wool yield beckons
SHAGGY SHAUN: World record wool yield beckons
Image: BBC

A merino ram found wandering through scrub in Tasmania could be the world's woolliest sheep.

The six-year-old ram, named Shaun, was found by farmer Peter Hazell on his land in central Tasmania.

Hazell said: "He couldn't see very well because of the wool over his face, so I snuck up behind him and grabbed him."

The six-year-old ram now has an appointment with a shearer and Hazell and his wife, Netty, estimate the fleece may weigh 20kg, says ABC news.

Farmers believe Shaun could have come from a farm on Tasmania's east coast, and were surprised he managed to wander so far and appear so healthy with such a heavy coat.

The world record for fleece yield is held by a Kiwi sheep called Shrek.

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