Shrek (sheep) explained
| Shrek |
| Species: | Ovis aries (domestic sheep) |
| Breed: | Merino |
| Gender: | Male |
| Birth Date: | 27 November 1994 |
| Birth Place: | New Zealand |
| Death Place: | Tarras, Otago, New Zealand |
| Years Active: | 2004–2011 |
| Known: | Avoiding capture
Having grown 27kg of wool |
|
| Owner: | Bendigo Station |
| Namedafter: | Shrek |
Shrek (27 November 1994 – 6 June 2011)[1] was a Merino wether (castrated male sheep) belonging to Bendigo Station, a sheep station near Tarras, New Zealand, who gained international fame in 2004, after he avoided being caught and shorn for six years. Merinos are normally shorn annually, but Shrek apparently hid in caves, avoiding muster. He was named after the fictional ogre in books and films of the same name.[2]
After finally being caught on 15 April 2004, the wether was shorn by a professional in 20 minutes on 28 April. The shearing was broadcast on national television in New Zealand.[3] [4] His fleece contained enough wool to make 20 large men's suits, weighing 27 kg (60 lb) – an average Merino fleece weighs around 4.5 kg (10 lb),[5] with exceptional weights up to around 15 kg (33 lb).[6]
Shrek became a national icon. He was taken to parliament to meet the then-New Zealand Prime Minister, Helen Clark, in May 2004, to celebrate his 10th birthday.[7] [8] In November 2006, 30 months after his initial shearing, Shrek was shorn again, on an iceberg floating off the coast of Dunedin, New Zealand.[9] [10]
Shrek was euthanised on 6 June 2011 on a veterinarian's advice. He was 16.[1]
See also
Notes and References
- Web site: Shrek the celebrity sheep dies . Otago Daily Times . 6 June 2011 . 25 November 2011 . https://web.archive.org/web/20120110074931/http://www.odt.co.nz/regions/central-otago/163660/shrek-celebrity-sheep-dies# . 10 January 2012 . live .
- News: Hermit sheep 'Shrek' shorn of 6-year-old woolly fleece. 4 December 2007. 29 April 2004. China Daily. https://web.archive.org/web/20071218211454/http://www.chinadaily.com.cn/english/doc/2004-04/29/content_327336.htm#. 18 December 2007. live.
- News: NZ's famous sheep gets TV haircut. 4 December 2007. 28 April 2004. BBC. https://web.archive.org/web/20071006183843/http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/asia-pacific/3665735.stm#. 6 October 2007. live.
- News: Shrek the sheep shorn at last. 27 January 2008. 28 April 2004. BBC. London. Jenny. Booth. https://web.archive.org/web/20090516074400/http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/article845690.ece#. 16 May 2009. live.
- Web site: 2002 Australian wool production survey, giving (p. 6) average Merino fleece weights.. agric.wa.gov.au. 2 October 2008. https://web.archive.org/web/20080903145125/http://www.agric.wa.gov.au/content/aap/sl/wool/bull4544.pdf#. 3 September 2008. dead.
- Web site: Merino stud ram listed (p 3) with fleece weight of 16.2 kg.. sunnyvalley.com.au. 2 October 2008. https://web.archive.org/web/20080719034323/http://www.sunnyvalley.com.au/Docs/SunnyValley2004Newsletter.pdf#. 19 July 2008. dead.
- News: Celebrity sheep meets NZ leader. 4 December 2007. 3 May 2004. BBC. https://web.archive.org/web/20080110080544/http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/asia-pacific/3680627.stm#. 10 January 2008. live.
- News: Southland Shrek's sheep romance fizzles. 4 December 2007. 14 November 2005. The New Zealand Herald. https://web.archive.org/web/20070929211302/http://www.nzherald.co.nz/location/story.cfm?l_id=145&objectid=10355091#. 29 September 2007. live.
- News: Shrek the sheep has close shave on ice. 4 December 2007. 29 November 2006. The Age. Australia. https://web.archive.org/web/20080108231451/http://www.theage.com.au/news/World/Shrek-the-sheep-has-close-shave-on-ice/2006/11/29/1164476250599.html#. 8 January 2008. live.
- News: Dunedin-Shrek the sheep shorn again on an iceberg. 27 January 2008. 28 November 2006. NZPA. dead. https://web.archive.org/web/20100524040835/http://www.nzpaimages.co.nz/events.php?event_id=2801. 24 May 2010.
