Icelandic Lamb-Roaming Free since 874

The people of Iceland are quite proud of their sheep. The title of this image is identical to a logo that is found in most restaurants and many clothing stores. The first sheep arrived in Iceland with the Vikings in 874 A.D., hence the title. And they are free roaming. Just about anywhere one travels roads of Iceland one can find sheep either behind the fence or on the road. They definitely present road hazard. If you kill or injure one while you’re driving, the common expectation is to find the farmer who owns the sheep.

These sheep are tagged with numbers. Some are tagged with different colors of spray paint. And they are free roaming and are free to mingle with sheep from other owners. Once a year, many Icelandic residents gather together to find their sheep and sort them at a sorting facility. There are clearly many more sheep than people in Iceland a country with a human population of 350,000.

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2 Likes

Very cute, David! And an interesting story! They look very comfortable with your presence.

Perfect depth of field, David, and I love the look the ram is giving you. It’s interesting that his coat doesn’t appear to be anywhere near as curly as the ewes’ are.

Thanks, David, for the history/background on these sheep. I had no idea there are so many of them. Love the expression on the ram’s face, feels as though he thinks you’re intruding or something. Great capture.