- Where to see one
- 4 U.S. zoos in our directory hold karakul sheep, confirmed against each zoo's own animal list.
Conservation status
Not Evaluated
This species has not been assessed for the IUCN Red List, so it sits outside the threat scale entirely.
About the karakul sheep
The Karakul is a breed of domestic fat-tailed sheep that originated in the desert regions of Central Asia and is named after Qorakoʻl, a city in Uzbekistan's Bukhara Region. It is renowned for foraging and thriving in extremely harsh conditions, and it can survive severe drought because it stores reserves as fat in its tail. The breed is kept for milk, meat, pelts and wool. Many adults are double-coated, and the coarse fiber is used for outer garments, carpets and felting. The meat, especially the tail fat, is an important ingredient in Uzbek cuisine. Karakul are also raised in large numbers in Namibia, brought there by German colonists in the early twentieth century.
Karakul Sheep facts
- Some archaeological evidence points to Karakul sheep being raised in Central Asia continuously since 1400 BC.
- Fat stored in the tail lets the sheep survive severe drought.
- Newborn lambs' tightly curled pelts are known as astrakhan, Persian lamb and swakara.
- Lambs must be under three days old for their pelts, or they lose the black color and tight coils.
Where to see karakul sheep in the U.S.
4 zoos across 3 states
Find the closest one
Rank the 4 zoos holding karakul sheep by how far they are from you. Your location is used in your browser to sort this list and is never sent to us.
AZAThe Association of Zoos and Aquariums. Accredited members have passed an independent inspection of animal care and welfare, safety, conservation and education, repeated every five years. Many smaller facilities never apply, so “not accredited” isn't a verdict on its own. What accreditation means · How we check this
Built from each zoo's own published animal list.
