RENEE MONTAGNE, HOST: Good morning. I'm Renee Montagne. It's worth Googling Chris the sheep to get a look at his astounding size. He was as big as a refrigerator when spotted roaming wild in the Australian bush. Half his weight was wool that hadn't been sheared since he got separated from his flock years ago. A concerned hiker alerted the SPCA and then Australia's national champion sheep shearer, Ian Elkins, came to the rescue. He sheared off nearly 90 pounds of wool - or about 30 merino wool sweaters. It's MORNING EDITION.
A sheep found in the wild in Australia had to undergo emergency shearing. Nearly 90 pounds was shaved away. The sheep's body weight reportedly dropped by half.