A karakul is which kind of animal?


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Answer: Sheep.

The Karakul breed originated in Central Asia, and its name comes from the village of Kara Kul (or Black Lake), which lies in the Bokhara region between Turkmenistan and Afghanistan near the Caspian and Black Seas.

Karakuls were historically used for the production of meat, fat, wool, and pelts. Of most value were the pelts of lambs, called Persian lambskins or astrakhan, which were used to make a variety of warm, soft, and elegant garments.

Karakul sheep were introduced into the United States between 1909 and 1936. The population in North America has been genetically divergent from Central Asian stocks since the time of importation, and this warrants classification of the American Karakul as a separate breed. Karakuls were imported to establish a pelt industry in the U.S., but this effort was not successful, and the breed has always been relatively rare.