Near the southwest corner of the main island of the Chatham group in New Zealand, there exists a small flock of feral sheep exhibiting certain Merino characteristics, suggesting that they may predate the islands' transition to longwool breeds.
It is believed that these feral sheep on Chatham Island have been living wild for almost a century, possibly originating from Saxon Merinos that were taken to South East Island (another island in the Chatham group) in 1841.
One noticeable difference between these Chatham Island feral sheep and those on Pitt Island is their wool color. The ferals on Chatham Island are predominantly white-woolled, whereas those on Pitt Island are mostly colored.
About Chatham Island Feral Sheep
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