Meet the Zoo: Wallace the Sheep

When people think of sheep, the image is a puffy, fluffy, woolly critter with stocky legs and a mild disposition.  Wallace, who lives at the , definitely fits the bill.

Wallace is a Cotswold sheep, a breed that originated in the Cotswold Hills of Gloucester, England. In the 1800s, breeders began to develop a larger sheep with thick, curly fleece and Wallace is a classic example.  Good size, good wool, and a hearty constitution made these sheep popular.

As a member of zoo’s barnyard crew – which also includes Wallace's twin sister, Bonnie – 6-year-old Wallace is popular for a different reason.  He enjoys attention from visitors and lumbers out of his barn stall when he hears visitors arrive. Of course, the anticipation of little hands holding out pellets of grainy food is a good motivator for him. He does enjoy a good back scratch and many visitors are happy to oblige.  After rubbing Wallace’s wool, and before you wash your hands, rub your fingers together to feel the lanolin.  This is the substance that helps sheep shed water from their coats and protects their skin. 

Cotswold wool is prized for its fine quality and sometimes referred to as “poor man’s mohair” because it does not irritate the skin. The Cotswold is also renowned as providing the wool referred to in the Bible as the “cloth of gold,” a cloth of finely spun wool (Cotswold wool could be spun to resemble fine linen) with beaten gold threads woven throughout. 

Wallace’s wool may not be spun into a cloth of gold, but he will definitely lose his curly locks over the weekend of Saturday and Sunday, May 21 and 22 when the Prospect Park Zoo brings in master sheep shearer, Don Kading, to give all the sheep – as well as the alpacas – their annual “haircuts” in preparation for summer.  In fact, the event is so interesting, the zoo has built a festival around it and visitors will be able to see the shearing on both days at 1:30 p.m.  Mr. Kading gives an informative talk about shearing and sheep and he is fascinating to watch.

 Wallace takes it all in stride – the quick cut relieves him of his winter coat and he emerges cool and comfortable for the summer.  You will not be able to run your fingers through his curly coat until the winter, but please – don’t let that stop you from giving him a good old fashioned backrub.

For more information about Prospect Park Zoo’s Fleece Festival, visit the Prospect Park Zoo's website.