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| Australia urgent plea to shear overgrown sheep | Australia urgent plea to shear overgrown sheep |
| (about 3 hours later) | |
| Australia's national shearing champion has been urgently called in to help after a heavily overgrown sheep was found near the capital Canberra. | |
| Ian Elkins responded after animal welfare officials warned the life of the merino sheep could be in danger because it was so woolly. | Ian Elkins responded after animal welfare officials warned the life of the merino sheep could be in danger because it was so woolly. |
| Sheep can develop serious health issues if they are not regularly shorn. | Sheep can develop serious health issues if they are not regularly shorn. |
| The animal - believed to be male - was "four-to-five times its normal size," welfare official Tammy Ven Dange said. | The animal - believed to be male - was "four-to-five times its normal size," welfare official Tammy Ven Dange said. |
| "It's definitely one of the biggest sheep we've ever seen," Ms Ven Danger, head of the RSPCA in the Australian Capital Territory, was quoted as saying by the AFP news agency. | "It's definitely one of the biggest sheep we've ever seen," Ms Ven Danger, head of the RSPCA in the Australian Capital Territory, was quoted as saying by the AFP news agency. |
| She added that the animal was "pretty stressed out" around human beings after what was probably years of solitude. | She added that the animal was "pretty stressed out" around human beings after what was probably years of solitude. |
| RSPCA officials had initially wanted to shear the animal themselves, but later decided to wait for an expert. | RSPCA officials had initially wanted to shear the animal themselves, but later decided to wait for an expert. |
| Mr Elkins, a four-time Australian Shearing Championship winner, said removing the fleece "could be one of my biggest challenges yet". | Mr Elkins, a four-time Australian Shearing Championship winner, said removing the fleece "could be one of my biggest challenges yet". |
| In 2004, Shrek the New Zealand sheep was found after six years on the loose. | In 2004, Shrek the New Zealand sheep was found after six years on the loose. |
| The animal - also a merino - later lost his giant 27kg (60lb) fleece in a televised shearing broadcast live around the world. | The animal - also a merino - later lost his giant 27kg (60lb) fleece in a televised shearing broadcast live around the world. |
| The country's most famous sheep died in June 2011. | The country's most famous sheep died in June 2011. |