Canberra's very woolly sheep questions answered

In the case of many of Australia's domesticated breeds, yes. Merinos like Chris in particular have been selectively bred to not shed their coats each year.

But other breeds like the dorper and the wiltipole, which have a mixture of hair and wool, will shed their coat for the summer, according to district veterinarian for the South East Local Land Service, Bill Johnson.

So what about wild sheep?

There actually aren't too many wild sheep in Australia, just lost sheep like Chris.

In America there are certain wild species like the American big horn, which still shed their coats for summer and so don't need to be shorn.

How hot would an unshorn sheep get in the summer?

In fact, Mr Johnson said this is less of a concern than you might think.

Given that wool is an insulator, an overgrown sheep is unlikely to overheat, he said.

A sheep would also instinctively seek shade and shelter during the hottest parts of the day.

Is this a world record?

Chris's fleece is certainly heavier than the largest recorded in the Guinness Book of Records, but it's not "official". It weighed in at 40.45kg - that's more than 10kg heavier than New Zealand's Big Ben, who has held the Guinness World Record for the most wool sheared from a single sheep since January 25, 2014, when 28.9 kilograms were removed. 

Won't he be cold without his epic coat?

Chris might be a bit chilly having lost all that insulation, Mr Johnson said, but as long as he had shelter from the elements, he should be alright.

What are the dangers of not shearing a domesticated sheep?

Fly strike is a huge risk for unshorn sheep, which, without going into too much gory detail, is where a blowfly maggot infestation develops in an animal's skin.

An unshorn sheep becomes more susceptible because the fleece traps moisture and bacteria, Mr Johnson said.

Sheep can also become "wool-blind" where fleece grows over their eyes and blocks vision.

Also, since wool is able to absorb large amounts of water, if an overgrown fleece gets wet it will become a dead weight on the sheep's back.

So in the case of Chris, who the RSPCA said could "barely walk" with an estimated five years worth of wool, it would prevent him from being able to move around, seek shelter and escape from predators, as well as the added strain on his body.

"[A sheep] is certainly at higher risk of dying if not shorn," Mr Johnson said.

What if he fell over with all that fleece? Would it be a turtle on its back situation?

It's true, a runaway sheep like Chris with overgrown fleece could fall over or lie down and be unable to get back up.

"If a long fleece interferes in the sheep being able to get its feet underneath it, so it can't get up and and move around, it'll be prone to predators," Mr Johnson said.

Will the fleece be used for clothing? What will happen to it?

It's unlikely that after so long Chris' wool will be sold to be made into clothing. For one thing, it's too long to be processed in standard machinery, Chris' shearer Ian Elkins said.

There's also vegetable matter like twigs and burrs buried in the fleece.

There have been suggestions of auctioning the fleece off instead, or setting it up in a permanent display or museum.

Hey, I want to see more photos of the sheep

Unfortunately, because of how skittish Chris was around people after being on his own for so long, the RSPCA has been careful about letting people in to photograph him.

We're told once he's up and going again there will be more opportunities for photos and "interviews" with Chris. You can also see some of the RSPCA's photos and our shots of the giant fleece in this photogallery.

So we're going to call him Chris?

Mutton Scorcese, Wool-emena and Andrew Baaarr (after the ACT Chief Minister) were a few of the options being bandied about. But the people who found him on Mulligan's Flat say they've called him Chris and it looks like the name's stuck. If you've got any other suggestions, leave them in the comments.