As RSPCA ACT veterinarians looked on, Elkins got down to business… and stayed down for a world record 42 minutes of shearing. Competitive sheep-shearers normally shear a subject in under two minutes! The shorn fleece weighed in at a whopping 40.45kg or just over 89 pounds, shattering the previous record of 60-odd pounds previously held by Big Ben, a sheep from New Zealand. As for Chris, the much-slimmer Merino tipped the scales at a mere 97 pounds, not counting his presumed massive sense of relief.
It’s expected Chris’s wool will be put up for auction and may eventually find its way to a museum. Were it to be processed into wool for clothing, it’s estimated the lanolin-rich bounty could be transformed into 30 men’s suits. Some issues could be expected, however, as a few years in the bush adversely affected the wool’s quality.
Chris may be a shadow of his former self – visually, at least – but his odyssey has caught the public’s attention. As such, RSPCA ACT veterinarians will continue to monitor Chris’s health and will be issuing updates as he recovers from his ordeal. “On behalf of all the staff and volunteers at RSPCA ACT in Australia,” announced Tammy Ven Dange, “thank you for caring about Chris and the work we do here.” We’d rate their efforts as not baaaad at all! (images and info via ©WENN.com and The Washington Post)


