Sheep

Tel: +44 (0) 1639 730276

We are eternally grateful to all those kind people who help us to care for the animals in our sanctuary.

Company Registration No 3714183 .

VAT Number 741 8355 27.

UK registered charity number 1076645

At Wales Ape & Monkey Sanctuary we have sheep roaming freely within their fields. All have been rescued within the UK.

Most commonly, female sheep are called ewes, male sheep are called rams, and young sheep are called lambs.

Spring is when most ewes in the UK give birth to their lambs, but lambs can be born anytime between December and May, depending on the system and location. By the time they give birth, ewes will have been pregnant for five months.

You might think all bleating sounds the same, but ewes recognise their lambs by their call when they wander too far away or get mixed in with the flock.

Sheep are called ‘ruminants’ because they have four stomachs.

There are more than 90 different breeds and crosses of sheep in the UK and they all have a role to play. Some can survive on mountains (even in the wildness of the Scottish Highlands), some make really good mothers.

Around 60% of UK farmland is only suitable to grow grass.

Land that can only grow grass is rarely (if ever) cultivated, meaning carbon is locked into the ground and not released into the atmosphere to contribute to climate change issues. Uplands and farmland in Wales alone store 400 million tonnes of carbon. This land also holds and filters rainwater.

Sheep produce a thick woolly coat called a fleece to protect them from the weather, both hot and cold. Wool is the most sustainable fibre in the world. It's a natural product of the sheep’s life cycle and the welfare of sheep is improved by them being shorn. Wool is a stable carbon store that is produced by little more than solar powered grass and herbage.

FACTS

The perfect gift for animal lovers, why not adopt a Sheep

We are eternally grateful to all those kind people who help us to care for the animals in our sanctuary. Donations from the public, businesses and other organisations are vital to our continued survival and any contribution or other form of support is greatly appreciated.

Here are some of the characters that you will see on your visit to the Wales Ape and Monkey Sanctuary.

Click here to read about our animals at the Sanctuary.