The Magra sheep, also known as Bikaneri Chokhla or Chakri and formerly known as the Bikaneri, is a breed of sheep that is found in the

Bikaner Bikaner () is a city in the northwest of the state of Rajasthan, India. It is located northwest of the state capital, Jaipur. Bikaner city is the administrative headquarters of Bikaner District and Bikaner division. Formerly the capital of ...

, Nagaur,

Jaisalmer Jaisalmer , nicknamed "The Golden city", is a city in the Indian state of Rajasthan, located west of the state capital Jaipur. The town stands on a ridge of yellowish sandstone and is crowned by the ancient Jaisalmer Fort. This fort contains a ...

and Churu districts of

Rajasthan Rajasthan (; lit. 'Land of Kings') is a state in northern India. It covers or 10.4 per cent of India's total geographical area. It is the largest Indian state by area and the seventh largest by population. It is on India's northwestern s ...

India India, officially the Republic of India (Hindi: ), is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by area, the second-most populous country, and the most populous democracy in the world. Bounded by the Indian Ocean on the so ...

. However, purebreds are only found in the eastern and southern parts of the Bikaner district. The Magra sheep is known as the only lustrous carpet wool-producing breed. The most important strain of Magra has flocks with extremely white and lustrous fleece, which can only be found in a few villages around Bikaner. A breeding program aims to improve this breed through selection. The breeders,

wool Wool is the textile fibre obtained from sheep and other mammals, especially goats, rabbits, and camelids. The term may also refer to inorganic materials, such as mineral wool and glass wool, that have properties similar to animal wool. ...

traders, and industrialists in Bikaner have expressed serious concern at the rapid decline in numbers of Magra sheep. Moreover, the number of purebreds is decreasing due to cross-breeding with other breeds in the area, and consequently there is a serious need for conservation.

References

{{Reflist Sheep breeds originating in India Animal husbandry in Rajasthan Sheep breeds Thar Desert