There are nearly 40 wild relatives of our mutton. Some are light and gazelle-like, like chamois, while others such as muskoxen and takin resemble giant, shaggy bison. Another trait they have in common is their hardiness. Mutton can be tough, they have conquered some of the most hostile terrain on Earth, from the hottest, driest deserts where few other large mammals can survive, to avalanche country, on some of the planet’s highest peaks and the coldest of barren tundra where they must scrape snow to find food.
They also have to tackle each other during the breeding season, when all of sheep kind go head to head. Its an arms race.
It’s the crowning glory of these incredible animals, masters of the wild that have been crucial to feeding and clothing humans for eons.
