Animal Breed NBAGR Registered Breed Sheep Breed

Garole Sheep: Prolific Microsheep of Sundarbans | Breed Profile & Conservation

ByRakesh Kumar 06/17/202506/18/2025Updated On 06/18/202506/17/2025

Garole Sheep

Garole Sheep Information

Conservation Status	Not specified (Population: 165,531 in 2013)
Scientific Classification	Domain: Eukaryota Kingdom: Animalia Phylum: Chordata Class: Mammalia Order: Artiodactyla Family: Bovidae Genus: Ovis Species: Ovis aries
Breed Type	Meat-purpose breed (Prolific small-sized)
Alternate Names	Meda, Bheda
Origin	Sundarbans region of West Bengal (“Bheda” means sheep in Bengali)
Breeding Tract	Districts: North 24 Parganas, South 24 Parganas Region: Sundarbans delta (Ganga-Bhagirathi-Hoogly river system) Soil: Saline and marshy
Geographical Range	Longitude: 88°00′ to 89°00′ E Latitude: 21°32′ to 22°40′ N
Main Uses	Meat production
Physical Traits	Color: Mostly grey (white, black, brown or mixtures also seen) Horns: Males have 2 small straight/curved horns Size: Very small (one of India’s smallest sheep breeds) Ears: Small (8 cm), 10% have rudimentary ears (<3 cm) Coat: Hairy (not woolly)
Morphology (Avg.)	Height: 44 cm (Male), 43.69 cm (Female) Body Length: 45.78 cm (Male), 42.97 cm (Female) Heart Girth: 59.67 cm (Male), 55.91 cm (Female) Weight: 16.4 kg (Male), 14.79 kg (Female) Birth Weight: 1 kg
Performance	Age at First Parturition: 14.1 months (range 10-17) Parturition Interval: 6.22 months Litter Size: 1.8 lambs (range 1-4, highly prolific) Dressing Percentage: 53%
Management	System: Semi-intensive Feeding: Grazing + fodder supplementation Flock Size: Small (average 4 animals) Castration: Male lambs castrated at 2.6 months for meat Special Adaptation: Can graze knee-deep in marshy conditions
Population Trend	2001: 265,000 2004: 306,845 2013: 165,531 (declining trend)
Special Notes	Known for exceptional adaptation to saline marshes and high prolificacy among Indian sheep breeds
The Rajasthan Express: Garole Sheep Breed Details

Explore the Garole sheep breed from West Bengal’s Sundarbans—renowned for high prolificacy, adaptability to saline marshlands, and resistance to foot rot. Learn about its characteristics, management, and conservation status.
THE RAJASTHAN EXPRESS

Rakesh Kumar

I am Rakesh Kumar, hailing from Rajasthan, and I proudly serve as a Private Veterinary Livestock Inspecter . With years of experience in the field, I am passionate about promoting the health and welfare of animals. As the administrator of The Rajasthan Express website, I am committed to delivering accurate and valuable insights into veterinary science and animal care.