Canberra, Sep 3 (IANS): A sheep in Australia has set a new world record with as much as 40.45 kg of wool shorn from it near capital Canberra, a media report said on Thursday.

The sheep, named Chris, was found on Wednesday, and underwent a risky shearing operation to remove 40.45 kilograms of wool, ABC reported.

It broke the previous world record held by a sheep in New Zealand called Shrek, whose fleece weighed 27 kg.

According to Australia's Royal Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (RSPCA), the sheep was at high risk as it was very woolly and the animals can develop serious medical conditions if they are not regularly shorn.

The RSPCA estimates the sheep, which could barely walk due to the mass of wool, had not been shorn in more than five years.

RSPCA Chief Tammy Ven Dange said she was pleased with how smoothly the shearing process went.

"He's a Merino sheep, and he needs to be sheared all the time, they're bred for that specifically, so if you don't do it, this is what happens," she said.

"If we can't find the legal owner then we'll put him up for adoption," she added.