Shrek

Shrek (27 November 1994– 6 June 2011) was a Merino wether belonging to Bendigo Station, a sheep station in Bendigo, New Zealand. He gained international fame in 2004, after he avoided being caught and shorn for six years. Merinos are normally shorn annually, but Shrek apparently hid in caves, avoiding muster. He was named after the fictional ogre in books and films of the same name.

After finally being caught on 15 April 2004, he was shorn by a professional in 20 minutes on 28 April. The shearing was broadcast on national television in New Zealand. His fleece contained enough wool to make 20 large men's suits, weighing 27 kg (60 lb) – an average Merino fleece weighs around 4.4 kg (9.7 lb), with exceptional weights up to around 15 kg (33 lb).

Shrek became a national icon. To celebrate his 10th birthday in May 2004, he was taken to parliament to meet the then-New Zealand Prime Minister, Helen Clark. In November 2006, 30 months after his initial shearing, Shrek was shorn again, on an iceberg floating off the coast of Dunedin, New Zealand.

Shrek was also shorn on the Auckland Sky Tower observation deck, raising money for charity.

Shrek was euthanised on 6 June 2011 on a veterinarian's advice. He was 16.

In 2024, a wooden box with a cutting of wool from Shrek was discovered at the New Zealand parliament onsite storage facility. It had been a gift to prime minister Helen Clark in 2004, who met him later that year.

In 2014, a taxidermied Shrek the Sheep appeared in an exhibition at the Museum of New Zealand Te Papa Tongarewa. He was treated and stuffed by taxidermist, David Jacobs based in Queenstown.

Shrek remains in the collection at Te Papa, as well as his limited edition Icebreaker jersey, blanket cover and his fleece.

In 2022, another sheep who evaded shearing for many years was named 'Shrekapo' after the original Shrek the sheep.