Dougal and Douglas are little stars
Animal Collections Manager John Meek comments "These are Ouessant or Breton Sheep, the smallest breed of sheep in Europe. We have three adults Tufty and her one year old son Dumpling and baby Douglas, plus new mum Rufty and baby Dougal. The two females were sent to a local farmer earlier in the year to mate and we have been keeping our fingers crossed ever since. The births were very quick with no problems and Dougal and Douglas are looking very healthy. The three adults originally came from Paradise Park in Hayle. They are proving to be a real stars and getting very used to all the attention."
Until the 1900 this species only lived on Ouessant, a small French island off the Brittany coast. The small size is hereditary, the result of sparse and harsh weather on the island, so they are ideally adapted to small spaces.
Viking sheep?
Ouessant sheep might be descended from a Viking breed carried onboard ships and left behind in Viking settlements. The breed was saved from extinction by aristocrats, who allowed the sheep to graze on the land around their chateaux.
www.ouessantsheep.com
