FALCON POWERS – The sheep await under the scorching sun, their thick wool causing them great discomfort… The exceptionally high temperatures over the past few days have forced shepherds in Dukat, southern Albania, to shear the wool as quickly as possible.
Biologist Negjip Hisollari, who came to greet his relatives on Wednesday for the traditional sheep shearing festival in Albania, confirms that “the (high) temperatures are forcing the shepherds to hurry with shearing the sheep: the unexpected heatwaves can be deadly.”
On this day, the men gather at dawn… Speed is a crucial factor, as the sheep can die from heat stroke, and the temperature gauge quickly rises above 39 to 40 degrees Celsius in the Dukat plain, an agricultural land at the foot of the majestic mountains overlooking the Adriatic Sea.
While the shearing process is usually organized at the end of June, the schedule was moved up this year to the beginning of the month to protect the animals from the sun’s rays, which can be fatal.
The danger is much greater for sheep and goats that have not been sheared, as their wool prevents perspiration from evaporating.
Syri Brahimi, a 64-year-old shepherd, explains while using shears to cut the wool, that these animals “can withstand the cold, but they face major problems with heat, and we must hurry to get rid of the wool that is choking them.”
He has invited his friends to his sheep pen to help him shear the flock of 150 animals. He will not delay in helping other shepherds with shearing and deworming before departing on a summer journey.
