Woman breeding adorable sheep to help prevent their extinction

By Izzy Hawksworth via SWNS

A mom-of-two has vowed to keep breeding an adorable, ancient breed of sheep to help stop them from going extinct.

Heidi Bell, 52, has over 50 Olde English Babydoll Southdowns sheep, who she says are known for looking like miniature teddy bears.

The 18-22 inch sized sheep became extinct in the UK after World War Two but they were re-introduced in the country around 20 years ago.

There are now just 400 of the sheep in Europe and Heidi is one of eight breeders in the UK, so she's on a mission to keep breeding them so they don't go extinct again.

She said: "My dream would be to have lots of mini flocks up and down in the UK so we can sustain the numbers of them.

"I'm also trying to build a profile - the more people who know about them means there is more support for the breed.

"I also want to get them listed as a rare breed trust.

"At the end of the day though, I just want to keep breeding them so I can share the love and get the mini flocks so there is more chance of them being part of the UK."

Heidi says she decided to purchase the livestock after she saw them online when she moved into a new property with 12 acres of land in Eden Valley, Cumbria.

The product designer says when she saw them in person for the first time, it was a 'life-changing moment' because they are 'the most amazing species of animal.'

She said: "I went onto the internet to see if there was any livestock that could keep the grass down but could also be our pets.

"I discovered there was a breed called Olde English Babydoll Southdowns that look like teddy bears and I was fascinated.

"They didn't look real - they looked like teddy bears running around so I enquired to a woman who wanted to get them back into the country.

"When we got the sheep and they came off the trailer, it was a life-changing moment because I literally love them.

"They are just the most amazing species of animal.

"It's the original ancient English breed - it's not something that we've created or tried to make miniature.

"They are the original size of a Southdown sheep and there's currently less than 400 of them in Europe so they are super, super rare."

Heidi says that all of the animals have completely different personalities and that she 'very quickly' created a bond with them all.

She added they are quite different to normal sheep though, because Babydolls are 'really open to having human interaction.'

The married mom of two said: "They are quite unique because sheep are normally quite shy.

"If there's any loud noise or anything that's a bit different in the field, they will flee and run.

"But babydolls are really open to having human interaction as long as you get on the floor with them.

"I very quickly created a bond with three sheep and just absolutely became besotted with them.

"The smallest one we have is called Boba, because his mum was called Yoda, and he's tiny but he thinks he's the boss.

"When I'm doing something, he will literally be my shadow and it's almost like he's a supervisor because he's super nosey.

"I've got others that are a little bit shy but so sweet and I've got Monty who will step two hooves onto my knees and plant his chin onto my shoulder.

"He just wants a cuddle and loves his belly rubs and you can instantly recognise them because they all have different personalities and look different."

If people are interested in buying a babydoll sheep, then they need to join Heidi's waiting list - which is currently about three years long.

The sheep also cost anything from £1,000 to £3,000 each and you must purchase them in at least groups of three.

Heidi, whose also a photographer, said: "Each of the lambs are born indoors and they are born, named and then brought up as a pet like a puppy or a kitten.

"We naturally wait until the lamb and the mum want to wean and we don't separate them early, like you would if you wanted to produce meat.

"We then find forever homes for them, but there is a waiting list of around three years.

"They go in mini-flocks, so you must purchase around three or five sheep.

"We ask the people to be registered and they need to keep in touch with us so we can follow their progress."

You can support Heidi on Instagram or on her website.