Importation into Australia – an exciting time

It is not possible to import live sheep into Australia.  It is however, possible to import sheep embryos.  The principal concern of the Australian quarantine authorities is to prevent the introduction of exotic disease.  To this end embryo donor ewes are put through a range of tests to ensure that they are healthy.  Donor ewes must be over 5 years of age.  All tests that can be done to detect the diseases of concern are done on these live sheep.  If the ewes are shown to be free of disease then they are multi-ovulated, inseminated and any embryos produced harvested.  Unfortunately each ewe then has to be euthanised.  This is because an exotic disease called ‘Scrapie’ can only be diagnosed in samples collected from a dead sheep.  If testing shows the donor ewes to be free of this disease then their embryos can then be imported.  Once imported the embryos are implanted into surrogate ewes which, in due course, give birth.  As mentioned above the first ever Skilder Persians were born in Australia in October, 2005.

Import Lambs Born 2005

The 5 import rams that established the breed in Australia

Photos on this page courtesy of Genelink