For close to 150 years, the sheep industry was the backbone of New Zealand’s economy, and numbers boomed, peaking in 1982 when there were more than 70 million sheep and just 3.2 million people ...

For close to 150 years, the sheep industry was the backbone of New Zealand’s economy and numbers boomed — peaking in 1982 when there were more than 70 million sheep and just 3.2 million people.

New Zealand’s closest neighbor Australia — the source of most of the sheep jokes about New Zealanders — is also home to more sheep than people, but the national flock is shrinking there too.

New Zealand is still one of a few countries in the world where sheep outnumber people.