Near the southwest corner of
the main island of the Chatham group, NZ, is a small flock of feral sheep which
appear to have certain Merino characteristics, and thus may predate the
Islands change to longwool breeds.
It is believed that Chatham
Island ferals have been living wild for almost a hundred years, and it is
possible that they originated from some Saxon Merinos that were taken to South
East Island (another of the Chatham group) in 1841.
The most noticeable difference
between these and the feral sheep of Pitt Island is that the Chatham ferals are
mostly white-woolled, whereas those on Pitt are mostly colored.
Content and
Photo Source: New Zealand Rare Breeds (
www.rarebreeds.co.nz).
About Chatham Island Sheep
