Sheila the sheep ran away six years ago but finally found her way home and is now making headlines for her amazing growth of wool. She was found in a table drain and rescued by Peter Jones of Tasmania, Australia. Jones at first thought Sheila was dead but then noticed the sheep was winking at him, prompting his rescue efforts.
During her time away, Sheila grew 46 pounds of wool on her body. A few days after her rescue, she was taken to John Alomes, who is a professional sheep shearer. A small crowd gathered as Alomes carefully removed the massive wool growth. When he was finished, the group smiled and clapped.
Alomes explained that aside from the thickness of Sheila’s coat, it had many items embedded in it, including dirt, sticks, bark and vegetable bits, making it difficult to cut. He also noted that Sheila’s wool growth was not a record. That is held by a sheep named Shrek, who escaped shearing for a number of years and amassed a 60-pound pelt.
Farmer Derek Turvey, Sheila’s owner, has since reclaimed her and taken her home. It is not known where she went for six years, but she appeared to be happy and enjoying her fame.