Aotearoa, New Zealand is well-known for its large sheep population; in fact, there are around five times more sheep in NZ than people!^1,2

This 5:1 population ratio sadly reflects how widely the animal agriculture industry exploits sheep. They are farmed not only for their wool, milk, and skin but also for meat and other products.

Sadly, the big-business of farming creates a demand for animal experiments as the industry aims to:

• maximise the dollar output per animal;
• innovate its’ way out of climate obligations, as well as
• innovate its way into creating new consumer markets and product trends.

You can learn more about the connection between animal testing and the business of animal agriculture here.

Sheep are so commonly used for science in NZ that they were among the top four most used animals for research, testing, and teaching purposes from 1989 to 2020.

While a lot of sheep are used for research relating to animal agriculture, they are also used for other areas of research; some might surprise you!

For example, Sheep in NZ have been used for:‍

• The production of biological agents such as antibodies to counteract bacteria, viruses, and foreign substances in the blood.
• Orthopaedic research to model surgery of human pelvis muscles and how those muscles repair.
• Sourcing tissue used for wound healing in human medicine (e.g., sheep stomach has been used to treat wounds and for reconstructive surgery in humans).
• Research relating to animal agriculture, including studies aimed at:
  • trying to clone sheep to increase how quickly they will breed,
  • reduce the amount of methane emissions sheep produce, and
  • maximise the profitability of sheep farming by increasing productivity and reducing the number of sheep who get sick or die (i.e., research into fertility, longevity, leather, wool and meat quality, the risks of hypothermia after shearing, infections, parasites, and diseases such as facial eczema).
• Medical research, including trying to model humans in research relating to:
  • injuries  - head trauma, bone grafting, vocal fold injury and muscle tears;
  • lifestyle impacts on health  - exercise, undernourishment, and dietary supplements;  
  • diseases - Batten disease (which kills off brain cells), hypertension, heart failure, MPS IIIC (which deteriorates the brain and spinal cord),  osteoporosis, Huntington’s disease (which breaks down the nerve cells in the brain), pregnancy complications (C-sections, pre-term, and twin-birth complications) and trialing drugs and medical devices (like brain implants).
• Basic biological research, including research into ageing and the dynamics of blood circulation within the body.

Places that use sheep for science in NZ include private companies, universities, polytechnics and Crown Research Institutes. Crown Research institutes and our universities and polytechnics are owned and funded by our government. 

Sheep used for science in NZ are sourced from farms and other public and commercial sources, and many are born during projects.

Discover real-life examples of how sheep have been used in NZ below!