Good-natured, patient and trusting, sheep are sociable herd animals. They have a natural lifespan of up to 20 years and studies show they are able to recognise the faces of at least 50 other individual sheep. In Australia, sheep are bred for the prized Merino wool and for meat.
Wool is one of the clothing industry's favourite products. But many consumers are unaware of the vast animal suffering behind wool production - mulesing in Australia. Besides that, sheep are raised in suboptimum conditions, neglected or exposed to painful mutilations in the farm environment, and are live exported for weeks over long distances on live export ships.