Pitt Island Sheep
Alpacas
Alpacas


HoneyBees
Bees


Bison
Bison


Buffalo
Buffalo


Camels
Camels


Cattle
Cattle


Chickens
Chickens


Crocodiles & Alligators
Crocs
& Gators

Deer
Deer


Donkeys
Donkeys


Ducks
Ducks


Emus
Emus


Geese
Geese


Goats
Goats


GuineaFowl
GuineaFowl
Horses
Horses
Llamas
Llamas
MuskOx
Musk Ox
Ostriches
Ostriches
Pheasants
Pheasants
Pigeons
Pigeons
Pigs
Pigs
Emus
Quail
Rabbits
Rabbits
Sheep
Sheep
Snails
Snails
Turkeys
Turkeys
Yaks
Yaks

About Pitt Island SheepAbout Pitt Island Sheep



In the nineteen-seventies a feral flock of several thousand sheep could be found on Pitt Island in the Chatham group, New Zealand.

These possibly derived from Saxony Merinos first taken to South-East Island - another island in the Chatham group - in 1841 and later transferred to Pitt Island. In any case, the flock is known with certainty to have been in existence for almost a century.

A Reserve for 300 of these animals was created on Pitt Island in 1981. A number have also been taken to mainland New Zealand.

Pitt Island sheep are almost all colored and have the self-shedding fleeces characteristic of feral breeds. The rams are impressively horned - up to a meter long measured around the curve.

In a study made of the sheep on the Reserve in 1981, Dr M. R. Rudge found that only 11.1% of rams and 8.8% of ewes were white; 97% of rams were horned but only 13% of the ewes had true horns, though 54% of the ewes had scurs.

Content and Photo Source: New Zealand Rare Breeds (www.rarebreeds.co.nz).