WATCH: ‘World’s wooliest sheep’ finally gets a haircut

An Australian sheep thought to be the world’s woolliest was finally shorn on Thursday but the weight of his fleece fell just short of the record.

Shaun the sheep was recently found hiding on a farm on the island state of Tasmania and appeared to have never been shorn.

Get breaking National news

For news impacting Canada and around the world, sign up for breaking news alerts delivered directly to you when they happen.

Sign up for breaking National newsletter Sign Up

By providing your email address, you have read and agree to Global News' Terms and Conditions and Privacy Policy.

READ MORE: Meet the world’s wooliest sheep, hasn’t been shorn in six years

On Thursday, Shaun’s fleece was shorn for the first time, and he lost 52 pounds of wool.

Shaun’s new owners, Peter and Netty Hazel, had hoped the weight of Shaun’s fleece would beat a record held by a now-deceased New Zealand sheep named Shrek.

Shrek rose to fame in 2004 after he was found hiding in caves on his farm, having evaded the annual shearing round-ups for seven years.

He had 60 pounds of wool shorn off his body.