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Chatham Island Sheep

A Rare Breed of New Zealand Origin

Chatham Island ewe (Photo by David Tuart)

      Near the southwest corner of the main island of the Chatham group is a small flock of wild sheep which appear to have certain Merino characteristics, and thus may predate the Island’s change to longwool breeds. (See Pitt Island for a location map of the Chatham Islands.)

Chatham Island sheep on Chatham Island (Photo by David Tuart)

      It is believed that this Chatham Island breed has been living ‘wild’ for almost a hundred years, and it is possible that they originated from some Saxon Merinos that were taken to South East Island (another of the Chatham group) in 1841.

      The most noticeable difference between these and the sheep of  Pitt Island is that the Chatham sheep are mostly white-woolled, whereas those on Pitt are mostly coloured.