Have you ever had a plan fall apart and then watched things turn out better than expected? A flock of sheep on Virginia’s Hog Island lived something like that, and it surprised the people who found them. The story is told by the Livestock Conservancy, a non-profit organization dedicated to protecting rare farm breeds, on its Hog Island sheep page. In 1933, a hurricane destroyed the island, and its inhabitants gradually left, but many sheep were left behind and survived in the wild. In 1978, conservationists discovered that the flock was thriving and animals were moved to safety.
An island flock with deep roots
Hog Island is a barrier island located off the coast of Virginia. For hundreds of years, small groups of people and livestock have lived there. The Livestock Conservancy says that in the 1700s a flock was formed from local sheep of British origin. Life on the island had made them hardy, good at finding food, and able to reproduce successfully. Some outside breeding was introduced over time, but isolation and natural selection still shaped the flock into a distinct breed. At their peak in the early 1900s, there were hundreds of sheep. They ranged at will, eating marsh grass and drinking fresh water from shallow pools dug in the sandy soil.
A hurricane devastated the island
All of Hog Island was flooded in a 1933 hurricane, according to the USGS report, Coasts in Crisis. It destroyed much of the town of Broadwater and killed the pine forest that shielded the island. Then, in the 1930s, a string of hurricanes and nor’easters discouraged people from staying. By 1945, all residents had relocated to Virginia’s Eastern Shore, taking most of their livestock with them. But many sheep were left behind. They continued to live as they had lived for centuries, eating marsh grass and finding fresh water for themselves. After the move, spring shearing and notching were usually the only time owners and sheep met.
Deep Dive
How did Hog Island sheep survive in the wild after the 1933 hurricane?
Why were the Hog Island sheep removed from the island in 1978?
Where do Hog Island sheep live today, and why are they still being conserved?
A surprise discovery in 1978
The Nature Conservancy bought the island in 1974. Four years later, Virginia Coast Reserve agents found a thriving flock there, much to their surprise. The flock's survival is a testament to the animals' resilience. In late August 1978, the Nature Conservancy took the sheep off the island, with the idea of returning them to full domestication. The animals were taken from the island and placed in managed care. Ten rams and 20 ewes were sent to Virginia Tech to study the breed's parasite resistance.
From island survivors to living history
{{/usCountry}}The Nature Conservancy bought the island in 1974. Four years later, Virginia Coast Reserve agents found a thriving flock there, much to their surprise. The flock's survival is a testament to the animals' resilience. In late August 1978, the Nature Conservancy took the sheep off the island, with the idea of returning them to full domestication. The animals were taken from the island and placed in managed care. Ten rams and 20 ewes were sent to Virginia Tech to study the breed's parasite resistance.
From island survivors to living history
{{/usCountry}}In a yearlong study, it turned out that it was not resistance that had kept the sheep almost parasite-free on the island, but isolation. After their stay at the university, the remnant flock moved to George Washington’s Birthplace National Monument. Today, some flocks are still in the hands of private breeders, and many Hog Island sheep live at living history museums in the Northeast and Mid-Atlantic, the Livestock Conservancy reports. That makes sense because the sheep resemble British sheep that lived in the New World during and after the colonial period. Most have white wool and about 20 percent are black. Adult weight ranges from about 90 pounds to 150 pounds.
Why the story continues to matter
Hog Island sheep show how animals can adjust to their environment. They are self-sufficient, good foragers that prefer browsing over grazing, according to the Livestock Conservancy. The breed's critical status means its future still depends on breeders and conservationists. Every museum flock and private breeder contributes to moving the breed forward. It began with a hurricane and a barrier island and continues today in living history museums and on breeders' farms.