Iceland is a beautiful country, but it’s harsh conditions with everything from active volcanoes to long and extreme winters, have made the Icelandic sheep breed the hardy and wonderful animal that it is today.
As much as Icelandics seem to thrive here in the winter, this recent blizzard was just too much for many of these animals in their native habitat.
The first picture below looks like our little Drifa, which, ironically, in Icelandic means “Snowdrift.” Luckily this little lady seems to have been a survivor…
From Iceland Review Online:
The extensive search for sheep trapped in last week’s blizzard in North Iceland has been scaled down. The Húsavík District Commissioner’s Office, the Police and Civic Protection Department are examining the needs of those farmers who have suffered losses as a result of the storm. It is not yet known how many sheep are still missing.
District Commissioner of Húsavík Svavar Pálsson said at a meeting on emergency relief funds today that crisis counseling will be provided to those affected, ruv.is reports.
According to the president of the National Association of Sheep Farmers, Þórarinn Ingi Leifsson, the slaughter season is going well and the search for sheep stuck in snowdrifts continues albeit to a lesser extent. 
ICE-SAR search for sheep in North Iceland. Photos courtesy of ICE-SAR.
Þórarinn Ingi says the sheep that have been rescued seem to have recovered quickly but that hundreds have died while buried in snow and the likelihood of animals still being alive decreases by the day.
ZR
