Land of sheep in central Vietnam

Ninh Thuan has a year around hot climate, with a short wet season during September and November. The climate has helped the province gain a nationwide reputation as the ‘holy land’ of sheep.



The sheep in Ninh Thuan are descended from those brought in by the French more than a century ago.

Today the sheep population is estimated at roughly 100,000, primarily in the districts of Ninh Phuoc, Bac Ai and Thuan Bac.



At around 8:00 a.m. every day, locals herd the animals to grazing fields where they feed on wild grass. The outdoor activity usually ends at around 4:00-5:00 p.m.



Hired shepherds live with their families at sheep farms. It is not unusual to see a group of three to four children sharing the herding job.



Each family owns from just a few to up to 200 sheep, and each family marks their animals with a different colour.

Due to the hot weather, Ninh Thuan sheep are raised for meat and breeding purposes only.



Their scraggly layer of wool obviously does not receive great care, nor is it of much value.



A sheep here weighs on average 35-40 kilograms when it is about nine months old.



                                  Each ewe can give birth to three lambs.












Kien Thuc/VOV