Pictured: Sheep not sheared for five years ‘at risk of pneumonia’ if wool is removed

Sheep
The sheep is now being cared for by the Bird and Mammal Reception Centre in Heusden-Zolder in the Dutch-speaking province of Limburg

A Belgian sheep that has not been sheared for five years cannot have its wool removed in case it catches pneumonia.

The animal was rescued from its owners in Overijse in Flemish Brabant and taken to a shelter.

The sheep is now being cared for by the Bird and Mammal Reception Centre in Heusden-Zolder in the Dutch-speaking province of Limburg.

Rudi Oyen, a shelter employee, told the VRT broadcaster: “If we shear the sheep at this point in the year, it will definitely contract pneumonia.

“Our sheep shearer thinks the sheep has not been sheared for at least four or five years. That is really extreme.”

‘Removing wool is out the question’

Pneumonia does not always prove fatal in sheep and can be treated with antibiotics, but Mr Oyen said there a several factors that must be taken into account.

Fearful of the cold winter weather in Flanders, he warned: “It’s really not the right time of the year to shear sheep, but we have to do something, because now the critter is in pain.

“Faeces, for example, are getting stuck in the coat. We will probably have to shear the tail. But removing the huge mass of wool is out of the question for now.

“Maybe we can shear part of the wool, but I actually doubt that that is possible. Normally, you always shear down to the skin.”

He added: “In fact, the sheep has been quite lucky, because the risk of myiasis is very high in such cases.”

Myiasis, also known as fly strike, is a painful condition caused by blowfly larvae feeding on the skin of the sheep that can be fatal.

A donkey and horse were also seized in the same raid and taken to the Belgian shelter. The animals could barely walk because their hooves had not been looked after for several years.

Mr Oyen said: “Both animals had enormously long hooves. They could hardly walk as a result. We are now going to take X-rays of the legs to see how the hoof bone is doing. That way we will know if the animals can survive.”

This is not the first time a sheep has captured attention. Last year, the UK was enthralled by the story of Fiona, who was dubbed “Britain’s loneliest sheep”.

Fiona was rescued after living alone at the foot of a cliff in Scotland for two years, having been separated from the rest of its flock. Its fleece had grown so huge, it had begun to drag on the ground.

After Fiona was shorn, its fleece was sold for charity, with the wool being made into souvenirs.