RSPCA Live Tweets Dramatic Shearing Of Australia’s Wooliest Sheep

By

Published

September 3, 2015

Someone fang us a bowl of popcorn, because this is a real cliffhanger.

ICYMI, Australia‘s wooliest sheep was discovered/rescued by the RSPCA in Canberra yesterday, sparking a nationwide hunt for a shearer with skillz enough to help in the removal of years and years of neglected wool.

Would you look at the poor guy?

Help! @rspcaact needs help from a sheerer immediately to hopefully save this sheep we just rescued! #Canberra #CBR pic.twitter.com/427j1ZN40E

— Tammy Ven Dange (@tvendange) September 2, 2015

His (or her? There’s no way of knowing) appearance is highly LOL because have you ever seen a sheep that wooly but, just like the morbidly obese, carrying all that extra weight was actually putting his life at risk.

RSPCA ACT CEO Tammy Ven Dange told ABC News: “It can actually make it impossible for them to go to the bathroom … we don’t know how bad the damage could be because this has been building for a while. He could go into shock during the shearing process tomorrow so we’re going to sedate him to try and take some of that pressure off him.”

Four-time Australian Shearing Championship winner Ian Elkins, who conveniently lives in Canberra, responded to the plea for help, riding in like a knight in shining armour, clippers in tow, to save the sheep.

Good news, we have a shearer!! We’ll update everyone tomorrow on how he’s going! @rspcaact pic.twitter.com/SfYY10ELdY

— Tammy Ven Dange (@tvendange) September 2, 2015

Such is the interest in this wooly mammoth’s makeover that the media has actually been banned from documenting the intense process, which could take up to four hours, and instead have to wait for the official weighing of the shorn-off wool at midday.

Reminder: no media cameras at @rspcaact of the sheep today. We need to save him first. Photo opps of wool at approx noon.

— Tammy Ven Dange (@tvendange) September 2, 2015

But the RSPCA hasn’t left interested members of the public empty-handing, live tweeting updates of Eklins’ progress via Ven Dange’s personal Twitter.

You wouldn’t think the shearing of a sheep could be so dramatic, BUT IT IS.

Anticipation was high from the get-go.

Our favourite sheep is getting ready for his haircut @rspcaact!! pic.twitter.com/Xv8JG2Bv14

— Tammy Ven Dange (@tvendange) September 2, 2015

It was all hands-on-deck when the process finally got underway:

Clipping of our favourite sheep has begun at @rspcaact! pic.twitter.com/2e0kGJmLI3

— Tammy Ven Dange (@tvendange) September 2, 2015

Finally, a pair of legs and stomach emerged:

Our @rspcaact sheep has a belly! pic.twitter.com/WFi7LNZfeR

— Tammy Ven Dange (@tvendange) September 2, 2015

Then came confirmation that a real sheep was, in fact, under all that wool:

There’s a sheep under that woolly blanket! @rspcaact pic.twitter.com/dXJ538airP

— Tammy Ven Dange (@tvendange) September 2, 2015

Eklins estimated that there was five years of wool on the poor guy:

Estimates that he had 5 years of wool on him and could barely walk! @rspcaact

— Tammy Ven Dange (@tvendange) September 2, 2015

CAN HE WALK NOW, TAMMY?! GIVE US MORE.

She complied with the first photo of his almost-complete sleek new look:

Almost done of first pass. 2nd pass then vet check. I’ll be offline for 1hr. Please see @rspcaact for more updates. pic.twitter.com/UzV6gVUv4M

— Tammy Ven Dange (@tvendange) September 2, 2015

*sheds tears of happiness*

We have but an hour to wait until the media is allowed to document what’s sure to be a high enough yield of Merino to satiate Jenny Kee for the next decade. At least.