【明報專訊】An overgrown Australian sheep has set a new unofficial world record with a "haircut" by five shearers.

Chris the enormous sheep was spotted by residents in Canberra (坎培拉), Australia. He had on him overgrown fleece, which animal welfare experts feared would cause severe and even fatal medical complications.

The animal welfare agency RSPCA (澳洲皇家愛護動物協會) issued an urgent call for helping the fluffy sheep remove his overloaded fleece. Ian Elkins, a four-time national shearing champion, stepped up to do the task. Elkins had to do the shearing with four assistants' help. It took them 42 minutes to remove from Chris over 40kg of fleece, which was expected to be a new world record. The last record dates back to 2004. That year a New Zealand sheep lost his 27kg of fleece after being on the loose for six years.

"I wouldn't say it is of high quality, but you wouldn't expect it to be after him being so long in the bush," Elkins said of the fleece. He guessed Chris had never been shorn since his birth. "It's amazing it's survived all these years out in the wild," Elkins said.

Chris was said to be feeling fine after his makeover. RSPCA hoped Chris would find a new home soon with a local farmer.

(source: Ming Pao, Daily Mail, The Guardian)

■Photo story

(see the photo)

■Words

shearer 剪羊毛的人

fleece 羊毛

complication 併發症

fluffy 毛茸茸的

■Quiz

Choose the correct answers.

(answers on next text)

1. How old is Chris now?

a. 4

b. 6

c. unknown

2. Why is it necessary to shear Chris' fleece?

a. To make Chris look nice

b. To prevent Chris from getting sick

c. To let Ian Elkins show off his shearing skills

3. Which of the following can replace "spotted" in paragraph two?

a. watched

b. noticed

c. looked

4. Where will Chris go afterwards?

a. go back to the wild

b. go to another country

c. settle in a new home

■Glossary

fatal (adj) 致命的

step up (phr v) 同意幫忙

on the loose (idiom) 不受拘束的

makeover (n) 美容