The Gharia sheep trace their lineage to the high pastures of Tibet and the Himalaya. They are an indigenous breed of Himalayan sheep. They are hardy, cohesive as herds, disease resistance, and a natural instinct to avoid predators.
Their instincts reduce the likelihood of attacks by snow leopards and other carnivores, lowering conflict and, in turn, reducing retaliatory killings that threaten snow leopard populations in the region. Gharia wool thus holds an unusual story: a material that is deeply local and a conservation tool.
