The researchers think that the sheep's survival is threatened by foot and mouth disease. The species currently at risk is the Herdwick Sheep, which is only found in England's Lake District. Before foot and mouth disease, there were approximately 100,000 Herdwick sheep, which led a virtually wild existence. They need next to no supervision, as they have strong ties to their habitat. Each new generation of Herdwick sheep learns from its parents where the best grazing places are.
Researchers warn that one quarter of the population has already been killed.
They fear that the biological diversity of British sheep breeding may be decimated. Scientists at the Universities of York and Leeds have thus rushed to set up a gene bank. The project is funded by scientific foundations and the British Ministry of Agriculture. The researchers also call for a revision of the current slaughter policy, saying that it is no longer appropriate to kill every animal within a three-kilometer radius of the center of an epidemic.