An annual tradition! Sheep shearing
July 2, 2026
With the rainy season underway, we're seeing more and more hot and humid days. Are you all prepared to cope with the heat?
This happened a little while ago, but on April 17, 2026, the annual pre-summer event took place at the livestock barn in Inokashira Park Zoo.
The two sheep we raise at our farm are Corriedale sheep. They are a dual-purpose breed, bred to produce a large amount of wool, and their wool doesn't shed naturally but continues to grow throughout their lives.
Generally, sheep are sheared once a year, before the really hot weather sets in. If their wool grows too long, they become more susceptible to heatstroke and illness, so shearing before summer is essential for the sheep's comfort. Until last year, animal keeper carried out the shearing through trial and error.
However, the challenge was that shearing only two sheep once a year made it difficult to improve our skills, and it was also time-consuming. Therefore, this year we invited a sheep shearing expert to guide us while shearing together.
The sheep that were shorn this time were "Merida," a two-year-old female who arrived at the zoo last year, and "Belle," a 15-year-old grandmother sheep.
Sheep are social animals that live in flocks, so they tend to become anxious when left alone. However, in order to shear them safely, they must be separated. To be honest, if Merida, who is young, strong, and full of energy, were to become anxious and start to struggle, animal keeper who are inexperienced in shearing, were not confident that they could do it safely.
Therefore, we first had an instructor demonstrate how to shear Merida as an example. We were taught how to safely restrain a sheep (firmly supporting its body so that it does not move) beforehand, and then we were allowed to shear her.
Merida seemed a little anxious at first, but once she was held securely, she calmed down and was quickly shaved. And we got this magnificent carpet-sized pile of wool! It weighed a whopping 4.5 kg.
For the second dog, Bell, animal keeper actually shorn her fur while giving instructions. Thanks to the guidance on how to hold Bell, she remained calm from start to finish, allowing the zookeeper to shorn her fur.
Their fur has grown a little longer now, but please come and see the two of them in their summer attire.
[Ishigami Inokashira Park Zoo]