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traditional Karakachan breed of sheep was once plentiful in
Bulgaria. In the early 20th Century there were 500,000 and by
the late 1950s, when farms were nationalized, the number had
shrunk to 160,000. Today there are only about 400. The sheep are
small, about 57 cm (1.87 feet) at the withers, with short and
thin tails. The wool is coarse and long - up to 40 cm (15,4
inches) and the color changes with age, becoming lighter. When
young the animal is black, then brown, and ends up with almost
grey fur. Sider and Atila Sedefchev from SEMPERVIVA - the
Bulgarian nature protection organization that specializes in the
conservation of endangered local breeds - started the project to
save the Karakachan breed dog in 1992. It is one of the oldest
European breeds in Europe and was used to guard livestock -
mainly sheep - and protect them from wolves and bears in the
high mountains. While searching for these dogs, the sheep were
discovered, as well as a traditio