After seven years, Prickles the sheep has made a comeback to her home in the Dunalley farm in a rural corner of Tasmania — a place she ran away from during the 2013 Tasmanian bushfires.
Farmer Alice Gray told the Australian Broadcasting Corporation that Prickles looks a little different now. Prickles had been on the lam(b) for all those years and hadn't been sheared.
Prickles is now round like a cotton ball — but one made of merino wool.
Meet Prickles. The little lamb who disappeared during an Australian bushfire seven years ago has returned home as a "massive and fluffy" sheep.
— As It Happens (@cbcasithappens) April 21, 2020
"She's quite a sight to behold and she's quite glorious," her owner told @caroloffcbc https://t.co/kgR30AhUNg pic.twitter.com/KF8aFZZn5I
But not for long. Now that she is back home, Prickles will be sheered of her massive woolly coat on May 1.
Gray decided to make a competition to guess the weight of Prickles' fleece to raise money online for the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees, the UN agency charged with advocating for the world's refugees.
Think you can guess how much wool is on Prickles the sheep? Her owners are holding a contest, and proceeds will go to UNHCR.
— As It Happens (@cbcasithappens) April 22, 2020
"We're using the happy story of Prickles coming home with her amazing fleece for a good cause." https://t.co/uDVIXNNxPB pic.twitter.com/UlUDFOlzQR
Gray said her family and Prickles were lucky to be able to self-isolate on a farm in Tasmania.
"It got us thinking about the people in the world who can't isolate during this COVID-19 crisis, like people in refugee camps," she said. "The money will go to people who aren't as fortunate as Prickles."
So far, the effort has raised close to almost 5,000 Australian dollars — or more than $3,100 US dollars.
