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Iceland farmer finds real life 'unicorn' living with his sheep

Iceland may be a country famed for tales of mythical giants, demon and dragon slaying warriors and old Norse gods.
But it has never really been famous for its unicorns, until now.

Meet Einhyrningur (that’s Icelandic for unicorn), the sheep with a solitary horn that has its master wondering what to do it now, the Iceland Monitor reports.

Farmer Erla Porey Ólafsdóttir found Einhyrningur wandering in the hills with his mother in December, well after sheep are usually rounded up for the winter.

Einhyrningur has a single horn, which appears to have resulted from the standard two horns fusing together. Photo: Erla Porey Ólafsdóttir
Einhyrningur has a single horn, which appears to have resulted from the standard two horns fusing together. Photo: Erla Porey Ólafsdóttir

Initially, they assumed he was a goat but upon closer inspection they found he was an incredibly rare 'unicorn sheep'.

“[We] thought at first it was a billy goat with this high horn,” he said.

“Then when they got closer they saw it to be a sheep, with such a peculiar horn. Both horns grow together like one, and split at the end.”

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“The horns stretch his face, particularly around the eyes so he always seems to be a bit surprised."

It’s tough being a unicorn in a sheep’s world. The facilities at the farm on which Einhyrningur now dwells are not exactly tailored to sheep of single horned variety.

“He quickly finds his own way. The horn gets in his way but he manages to get about his business in a sheepcote even though its not designed for unicorns,” Ólafsdóttir said.

Einhyrningur may be about to become a zoo exhibit. Photo:Erla Porey Ólafsdóttir
Einhyrningur may be about to become a zoo exhibit. Photo:Erla Porey Ólafsdóttir

What exactly will become of the ram, which is not expected to set any sales records as breeding stock, is now somewhat uncertain.

However, the BBC reports Einhyrningur may be destined to become one of the world’s few unicorn exhibits at the Reykjavik Zoo, even if he will have to keep living with the sheep.