OVINE RUMINANTS
This week, I’m ruminating about ruminants; specifically, the ovine kind. It all started when I was a toddler and practically tumbled out of a shopping cart lunging at a stuffed lamb on a shelf. Lambie and I had many adventures over the years and I dragged her everywhere. I loved her so much, she wore down to a Velveteen Rabbity look.
Mouflon sheep was the first meat animal to be domesticated over 10,000 years ago in Asia Minor. Thanks to human-induced evolution, there are now over 200 breeds of domestic sheep; most woolly, but some hairy. By most accounts, sheep are considered to be dumb, docile animals. In some countries, particularly those previously associated with the edges of the British Empire, flocks of these social critters outnumber people. I’m not sure why this is noteworthy because every country in the world has one animal or t’other that outnumbers people. I’m looking at you, bugs. But then, bugs are smaller than sheep, and frankly, not as cute. Besides, most of us don’t want to know how many *bugs cohabitate with us.
Utah’s home to three wild subspecies of Bighorn Sheep, the California Bighorn Sheep, Rocky Mountain Bighorn Sheep, and Desert Bighorn Sheep. As a child, it was always a thrill to spot these elusive creatures when traveling around the West on family excursions. Wild sheep are majestic, hardy, agile animals whose sure-footedness is legendary. Moreover, the ram horn has long been a symbol of power and the ram was the mascot for my public high school in Salt Lake; my hubby’s Catholic high school in Gloucester City, New Jersey; oldest kiddle’s public middle school in Spring Mills, Pennsylvania; and youngest kiddle’s public middle school in Helper, Utah. You could say our family is “Ram Tough.”
So, how can sheep be emblematic of a middle-aged, flabby, former jock whose only exercise is groupthink and be a symbol of aggressive ruggedness aligned with macho, behemoth open-bed vehicles? Sheeples versus rams. Which one would you rather be?
Researchers from Utah State University were part of the worldwide team of scientists who cracked the genetic code of sheep. Domestic sheep, unlike most livestock, are rather diverse from a genetics standpoint, which makes them less prone to disease and decline. Sheep make excellent lawn mowers, have almost 360-degree vision, can recognize individual sheep and human faces, and can remember them for at least two years. Even though sheep production in industrialized countries has declined rapidly, there are still over one billion sheep in the world. Yet, pork, poultry, and beef are consumed in much larger quantities than mutton and lamb. What other animal provides two of my favorite things – warm, fuzzy socks and cheese – without dying in the process? Perhaps sheep, and by extension, sheeples, aren’t so stupid after all. Of course, I’ve never actually owned or interacted much with flesh-and-blood sheep, which is probably why I like them so much. In the end though, I agree with Shaun the Sheep that, “Life’s a treat ...”
*over 100 species – that’s thousands and thousands of creepy crawlies. Furthermore, the richer you are, the more household bugs you have!
~ Emery Lamb
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