Santa Cruz sheep
{{Short description|Breed of sheep}}
{{Infobox sheep breed
| name = Santa Cruz sheep
| image = Santa Cruz sheep, Roger Williams Park Zoo.jpg
| image_size =
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| image_caption = Santa Cruz sheep at the Roger Williams Park Zoo
| status = Endangered
| altname =
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| country = United States
| distribution =
| standard =
| use = Wool
| maleweight =
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| type = Feral breed
| woolcolor = White
| facecolor = White
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Santa Cruz sheep are an extremely rare breed of domestic sheep that once existed as a feral population on the Santa Cruz Island of the Channel Islands of California.{{cite web|url=http://www.ansi.okstate.edu/breeds/sheep/santacruz/index.htm|title=Santa Cruz|work=Breeds of Livestock|publisher=Oklahoma State University Dept. of Animal Science|accessdate=2008-01-31|url-status=dead|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20071214180858/http://www.ansi.okstate.edu/breeds/sheep/santacruz/index.htm|archivedate=2007-12-14}} Small and hardy, the sheep were all killed or removed from the island to prevent destruction of natural habitats. Today, they number fewer than 200 animals. This breed is primarily raised for wool.
{{cite web
|url=http://dad.fao.org/
|title=Santa Cruz/United States of America
|work=Breed Data Sheet
|publisher=Domestic Animal Diversity Information System
|accessdate=2009-09-08}}
History
In the mid-19th century, sheep that were most likely of the Merino, Rambouillet (French Merino), or Churro breed were brought to Santa Cruz Island. By the 1860s, thousands of sheep grazed freely on the island.{{cite web | url=http://www.nps.gov/chis/historyculture/santacruzisland.htm | title=Santa Cruz Island | work=Channel Islands National Park | publisher=National Park Service | accessdate=2008-02-01}} Throughout the 20th century, ranching declined on the island and most of the sheep became feral. In 1978, The Nature Conservancy gained control of the island; sheep numbers around this time were estimated to be over 20,000.{{cite journal |author2=Bruce E. Coblentz |date=April 1989 |title=Population Characteristics of Feral Sheep on Santa Cruz Island |journal=The Journal of Wildlife Management |volume=53 |issue=2 |pages=306–313 |quote=This study was funded by the Nature Conservancy |doi=10.2307/3801128 |author=Vuren, Dirk Van |jstor=3801128}} Later, the Nature Conservancy and the National Park Service began to kill or remove all sheep remaining to prevent overgrazing of the island's vegetation.{{cite web | url=http://www.albc-usa.org/cpl/santacruz.html | title=Santa Cruz Sheep| publisher=American Livestock Breeds Conservancy | accessdate=2008-02-01}}{{cite news |first=Daryl |last=Kelley |title=Nature Conservancy Riflemen Kill Many Island Sheep |url=https://pqasb.pqarchiver.com/latimes/access/11038613.html?dids=11038613:11038613&FMT=CITE&FMTS=CITE:FT&date=Feb+11%2C+1997&author=DARYL+KELLEY&pub=Los+Angeles+Times&desc=Nature+Conservancy+Riflemen+Kill+Many+Island+Sheep%3B+Wildlife%3A+Eight+volunteers+shoot+animals+while+shooing+herd+off+ecological+preserve+next+to+Gherini+Ranch%2C+official+confirms.+Adoption+coordinator+asks+for+slaughter+on+Santa+Cruz+to+stop.&pqatl=google |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110524141818/http://pqasb.pqarchiver.com/latimes/access/11038613.html?dids=11038613:11038613&FMT=CITE&FMTS=CITE:FT&date=Feb+11,+1997&author=DARYL+KELLEY&pub=Los+Angeles+Times&desc=Nature+Conservancy+Riflemen+Kill+Many+Island+Sheep%3B+Wildlife:+Eight+volunteers+shoot+animals+while+shooing+herd+off+ecological+preserve+next+to+Gherini+Ranch,+official+confirms.+Adoption+coordinator+asks+for+slaughter+on+Santa+Cruz+to+stop.&pqatl=google |url-status=dead |archive-date=May 24, 2011 |work=Los Angeles Times |date=1997-02-11 |accessdate=2008-02-02 |quote=Eight volunteers shoot animals while shooing herd off ecological preserve next to Gherini Ranch, official confirms. Adoption coordinator asks for slaughter on Santa Cruz to cease. }} Today, the breed has fewer than 200 animals remaining, and is considered "critical" by the American Livestock Breeds Conservancy. A small population of the sheep exists on the mainland, and were largely placed through adoption.{{cite news |first=Daryl |last=Kelley |title=Adoption Offers Head Off Talk of Island Sheep Slaughter |url=https://pqasb.pqarchiver.com/latimes/access/10928134.html?dids=10928134:10928134&FMT=CITE&FMTS=CITE:FT&date=Jan+24%2C+1997&author=DARYL+KELLEY&pub=Los+Angeles+Times&desc=Adoption+Offers+Head+Off+Talk+of+Island+Sheep+Slaughter&pqatl=google |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110524141854/http://pqasb.pqarchiver.com/latimes/access/10928134.html?dids=10928134:10928134&FMT=CITE&FMTS=CITE:FT&date=Jan+24,+1997&author=DARYL+KELLEY&pub=Los+Angeles+Times&desc=Adoption+Offers+Head+Off+Talk+of+Island+Sheep+Slaughter&pqatl=google |url-status=dead |archive-date=May 24, 2011 |work=Los Angeles Times |date=1997-01-24 |accessdate=2008-02-02 }}
Characteristics
Like many breeds of island sheep, Santa Cruz sheep are relatively small and extremely hardy. They are good foragers and need no assistance with lambing. {{Cite web|title=The Livestock Conservancy|url=https://livestockconservancy.org/index.php/heritage/internal/santa-cruz|access-date=2021-08-05|website=livestockconservancy.org}} However, because of the fine–wooled breeds that they are derived from, Santa Cruz sheep are unique among formerly feral island breeds in their medium to fine wool with a soft feel. Their fleeces are mostly white, but some colored sheep are known among the breed.
Conservancy
In 1988, the Livestock Conservancy placed twelve of the island's lambs with five California breeders. Additional sheep were brought from the island in 1991. In 2017, there were less than a dozen breeders in the United States.{{Cite web|last=Gruber|first=Philip|title=Sheep Breeder Preserving Rare, Once-Feral Breed|url=https://www.lancasterfarming.com/farming/livestock/sheep-breeder-preserving-rare-once-feral-breed/article_0f05fc0d-c856-519a-99a6-8d65683f85c9.html|access-date=2021-08-05|website=Lancaster Farming|language=en}}
See also
References
{{reflist}}
External links
- [https://archive.today/20100816182736/http://www.svffoundation.org/animals/animals.cfm?animal=12&page=11 Santa Cruz sheep] at the SVF Foundation website
{{Sheep breeds of Canada and the United States}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Santa Cruz Sheep}}
Category:Fauna of the Channel Islands of California