- Tunisia votes with Saied set for re-election
- Bagnaia sets 'example' with Japan MotoGP win to cut gap on Martin
- Intense Israeli bombing rocks Beirut ahead of war anniversary
- Mozambique vote: no suspense but some disillusion
- Austrian rapper channels anti-racist rage in Romani hip-hop songs
- Ohtani magic powers Dodgers over Padres in MLB playoff thriller
- Five of the best: Pakistan-England Test thrillers
- Man sets arm on fire as marches across US mark Gaza war anniversary
- Vietnam's young coffee entrepreneurs brew up a revolution
- Trump rallies at site of failed assassination: 'Never quit'
- Too hot by day, Dubai's floodlit beaches are packed at night
- Is music finally reckoning with #MeToo?
- Fans hail Trump's 'guts' as he returns to site of rally shooting
- Lebanon state media says 'very violent' Israeli strikes hit south Beirut
- Guardians maul Tigers, miracle Mets rally in MLB series openers
- Lebanon state media says Israeli strikes hit south Beirut
- Miami on track for MLS record points after win in Toronto
- Madrid beat Villarreal but Carvajal suffers knee injury
- Madrid beat Villarreal to move level with Liga leaders Barcelona
- Monaco take top spot in Ligue 1 with win at Rennes
- French rugby player on rape charge whistled but 'serene' on return
- Madrid beat Villarreal to level Liga leaders Barca
- Thuram treble fires Inter past Torino and up to second
- 'Fight': defiant Trump jets in to site of rally shooting
- Toddler among 3 dead in migrant Channel crossings
- Mexico City's new mayor sworn in with pledges on water, housing
- Israel on alert ahead of Hamas attack anniversary
- Guardians maul Tigers in MLB playoff series opener
- Macron criticises Israel on Gaza, Lebanon operations
- French rugby player whistled but 'serene' on return amid ongoing rape case
- Kovacic stars as Man City sink Fulham to get title bid back on track
- Retegui hat-trick fires five-star Atalanta to hammering of Genoa
- Heavyweights Australia, England off to World Cup winning starts
- Visiting UN refugee agency chief decries 'terrible crisis' in Lebanon
- Spinners come to party as England defeat Bangladesh at T20 World Cup
- Search continues for missing in deadly Bosnia floods
- Man City sink Fulham to get title bid back on track
- France's Auradou whistled on Pau return in Perpignan loss amid ongoing rape case
- A 'forgotten' valley in storm-hit North Carolina, desperate for help
- Arsenal hit back in style after Southampton scare
- Thousands march for Palestinians ahead of Oct 7 anniversary
- Hezbollah heir apparent Safieddine out of contact after strikes
- Liverpool stay top of Premier League as Arsenal, Man City win
- In dank Tour of Emilia, Pogacar shines in rainbow jersey
- DR Congo launches mpox vaccination drive, hoping to curb outbreak
- Trump returns to site of failed assassination
- Careless Leverkusen held to Bundesliga draw
- O'Brien's 'superstar' Kyprios posts landmark win on Arc weekend
- Toddler crushed to death in migrant Channel crossing
- Liverpool suffer Alisson injury blow
The giant sheep helping Tajikistan weather climate change
In the hills outside the Tajik capital Dushanbe, shepherd Bakhtior Sharipov was watching over his flock of giant Hissar sheep.
The breed, prized for profitability and an ability to adapt to climate change, garners celebrity status in the Central Asian country, which is beset by a shortage of both meat and suitable grazing land.
"They rapidly gain weight even when there is little water and pasture available," 18-year-old Sharipov said.
Facing a serious degradation in farmland due to years of overgrazing and global warming, the hardy sheep offer a potential boon to Tajikistan's farmers and plentiful supply of mutton to consumers.
Around 250 of the animals -- instantly recognisable by two fatty lumps on their rear end -- were grazing in the early spring sun under Sharipov's watch.
"These weigh an average of 135 kilograms (300 pounds). It's the end of winter, so they're not as heavy, but they'll put on weight quickly," he said.
A white Central Asian shepherd dog, almost as large as the sheep he was watching over, stood on guard.
The largest Hissar rams can weigh over 210 kilograms (460 pounds).
Able to yield meat and fat of around two-thirds their total weight -- more than most other breeds, many of which also consume more -- they can be highly profitable for farmers.
- 'Improve the land' -
"The Hissars are a unique breed, first because of their weight," Sharofzhon Rakhimov, a member of the Tajik Academy of Agricultural Sciences, told AFP.
"Plus these sheep never stay in the same spot so they contribute to improving the land's ecosystem," he said.
They can wander up to 500 kilometres (300 miles) in search of grazing land between seasons, helping pastures in different regions regenerate.
The decline in land quality is one of the main environmental challenges facing Central Asia.
Around 20 percent of the region's land is already degraded, affecting 18 million people, according to a United Nations report.
That is an area of 800,000 square kilometres (nearly 310,000 square miles), equivalent to the size of Turkey.
The dust churned up by the arid ground can fuel cardio-respiratory diseases.
Facing a hit to their livelihoods as their land becomes ever less productive, many farmers choose to emigrate.
In such an environment, the status of Hissar sheep -- able to thrive in the tough conditions -- is of serious public interest for Tajikistan.
Among the dozens of posters glorifying Tajik President Emomali Rahmon that line the road into the Hissar valley, stands a golden-coloured monument to the three kinds of Hissar sheep.
- A $40,000 sheep -
At his biotech centre near the capital, scientist and breeder Ibrokhim Bobokalonov harnesses genetic samples of the very best specimens in the hope of rearing the largest and most profitable sheep.
"Demand for Hissar sheep is growing not only in Tajikistan, but also in Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Russia, Turkey, Azerbaijan, China and even the United States," Bobokalonov said.
The animals have even become a source of rivalry in the region.
Tajikistan recently accused its neighbours of tampering with the breed, crossing it with other local varieties to create even heavier sheep.
A Hissar weighing 230 kilos was recorded at an agricultural competition in Kazakhstan last year, setting a Guinness World Record.
Others in Kyrgyzstan have surpassed 210 kilos.
Tajik breeders say they are intent on staying ahead.
"Here's Misha. He weighs 152 kilograms and is worth $15,000," Bobokalonov said, standing in front of a sheep lying on the scales with its legs tied together.
The sum is equivalent to six years' average salary in Tajikistan. Bobokalonov plans to sell him later this year.
"I hope that by the time of the competition this summer, he will weigh 220-230 kilograms. Just by feeding him natural products, without doping, he can put on around 800 grams a day," Bobokalonov said.
In Kazakhstan, a sheep sold for $40,000 in 2021.
While farmers like the Hissars for their profitability, the sheep is famed among the wider population for its flavour.
Mutton is an essential ingredient in central Asian fare.
Scouring the offering at a local market, shopper Umedjon Yuldachev agreed.
"You can cook any Tajik national dish with this mutton."
M.Thompson--AMWN