A hybrid of the Mauritanian ‘Touabire’ breed and the Malian ‘Bali-bali’, the Ladoum was first bred outside Senegal’s capital of Dakar in the early 1970s.  Such a sheep is considered a symbol of high status – and its owner is considered a very important person. Few people can afford such a “precious” sheep, while others only dream of saving up and buying one.

“Above everything else in Senegal, we love beautiful beasts,” top breeder Abou Kane said. “The Ladoum is both big and beautiful. It is the rarity of this breed that makes it so expensive and profitable. This breed is rare and highly prized, and anything that is rare in the world is expensive.”

In Senegal, the breed is popular – mainly wealthy families or breeders, of which there are only a few in the whole country, buy such sheep. Others admire ladums and dream one day to save up and also buy such a sheep – because in the country they have even more status than luxury cars and mansions.

“Owning a Ladoum differentiates you from other people,” chef Fatou Sen toldQuartz Africa “When my children see someone with a big sheep, they know that this is a very important person. Ladoums are for the stars, not ordinary people.”

Ladum belongs to the Moorish short-haired sheep. They can reach a height of 1.2 meters and weigh 175 kg. The breed has been around since the 70s, but breeders have only begun to improve its physical beauty in the last 20 years. For sheep of this breed, they even organize special beauty contests, where the most “ideal” ones are chosen.