The Lebrijana churra sheep or marismeña sheep adapted to the harsh conditions of the Doñana marsh but its low yields – only its meat is used – made it economically unviable, which has placed this native species on the verge of extinction and, according to Biologists and shepherds have warned, there are now fewer than lynxes left.
Its population is estimated at just over half a thousand specimens, half of which are preserved in Doñana, in the Hinojos marsh (Huelva), on the very edge of the national park and the surrounding natural park, and the other half in the Sierra Norte of Seville thanks to a program of the Provincial Council of Seville, while the Iberian lynx has more than a thousand specimens in the Peninsula.
The Marismeña sheep that remain in Doñana are property of the Livestock Cooperative of the Marismas de Hinojos (Huelva), made up of 350 members who mainly own cows and horses and who maintain a flock of just over 200 specimens of these sheep through the efforts of men like Manuel Naranjo, 65 years old, retired teacher, vocational pastor and former mayor Hinojos for IU.
Also for the interest and vocation of Rafael Mateos, president of the Churras Lebrijanas Association, who at 35 years old is the only professional shepherd of the cooperative, who decided to practice this profession after not getting enough grade to study Veterinary Medicine. “Shepherds are what are in real danger of extinction,” biologist Juan José Negro, from the Doñana Biological Station, an institute that he directed for three years, told Efe.
Juan José Negro directs a research group that has delivered to the Seville Provincial Council a project for the conservation of the marsh sheep that, if successful, would have to be developed for a minimum of three years and that would serve to safeguard this species that, according to the biologist, would be the one that could best adapt to the new demands caused by climate change.
The marsh sheep is immune to the worm fly, a pest that wreaks havoc on the merino herd, and does not suffer from hoof fungus even if it continually treads on flooded ground, as is the case in the marsh when it rains, but it has not been able to defeat the law. of supply and demand that governs the markets.
Their milk is not used, and does not produce wool but fleece, which was once used for mattresses but is now worthless. The shearing from the last season is still in a warehouse because no one has been interested in taking it or giving it away, but nevertheless its meat is delicious to refined palates.
Manuel Naranjo and Juan José Negro have agreed to point out the “pre-salted” flavor of the meat of this species of sheep because it feeds on dry and salty grass, in addition to being entirely organic, a type of meat highly valued in sophisticated cuisines such as the French one.
For this reason, the research project presented by Negro’s team includes a study of the commercial possibilities of marismeña sheep to study the possibilities that its meat demand guarantees the viability of the species as a livestock activity and, therefore, its subsistence. .
The Lebrijana churra sheep has an image that is easily distinguishable by the bow with which its head ends, the black color that surrounds its mouth and eyes, and the locks of its fleece and its tail, in addition to its bearing, antlers and the height of its legs. rams, which reach over sixty kilos.
They are also distinguished by the jumps they make each section when they run through the marsh when they are grouped to be entangled, which distinguishes them from other breeds such as the merinos, which are much less wild due to prolonged stabling.
The wild behavior of marsh sheep can be seen in other details, such as the instinct to protect their sheep, in front of which the females stand and surround themselves with vigilant steps before any visit, and in the bumps that the males face. each other.
But the natural characteristics of these sheep that inhabit the marsh in complete freedom do not favor their conservation either since, according to Manuel Naranjo, every year half of the sheep are lost due to attacks by foxes, a proportion so high that none of them suffer it. another livestock species.
