Dangerously overgrown sheep found near Canberra gets a trim

A sheep with so much wool that its life was in danger has been shorn by a national shearing champion.

Staff from the RSPCA rescued the animal after it was found near Canberra yesterday.

RSPCA ACT CEO Tammy Ven Dange shared photos of the sheep's hairy predicament and put a call out on Twitter to find a shearer who could help them.

If sheep are not regularly shorn they can develop serious medical conditions. Without shearing it is also impossible for the staff to tell whether the animal has any injuries that need treatment.

According to the ABC, four-time Australian Shearing Championship winner Ian Elkins put his hand up for the job and started the shearing this morning.

"Crazy day to shear a sheep with the whole world watching," Ms Ven Dange tweeted this morning.