Chris, sheep famed for heaviest fleece, dies

By Riyaz ul Khaliq

ANKARA (AA) - Chris, the sheep known for the heaviest fleece in the world, has died.

Its 42.3 kilograms (93.2 pounds) of fleece weighed him down making it nearly impossible to walk.

Earlier Tuesday, Little Oak Sanctuary in New South Wales announced death of the sheep on its Facebook page, Australian Broadcasting Corporation (ABC) reported.

The sheep's owners said they were “devastated” by the loss.

"He [Chris] was so much more than this, so very much more, and we will remember him for all that he was — someone, not something," the sanctuary said.

Chris was said to be 10 years old. The maximum life span of a sheep is 12 years.

He was first spotted in the wild in Canberra in 2015 and rescued by Australia’s Royal Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals. He was later sheared.

Earlier another sheep named Shrek, which lived in the wild for six years in New Zealand, was found with 27 kg (59.5 lbs) of fleece.