40kg fleece has sheep close to death until he was saved and shaved by rescue team

A sheep close to death because of its 40kg fleece has been saved after shelter workers intervened - and gave it a shave.

The animal, dubbed Alex, was found at the top of a mountain in Victoria, Australia last week.

A local bushwalker stumbled upon the sheep, which was unable to stand due to his overgrown wool.

Edgar's Mission, a sanctuary for rescued farm animals, then got involved and removed the wool - in the nick of time.

Pam Ahern, Edgar's Mission's founder and director, said: "I’m not sure how long the poor fellow had been lying there.

"But I do know that, judging by the length of his fleece, he had not been shorn in many a year, and had he not been found when he was, he would have passed from this world."

Video shows workers removing Alex's heavy coat, which is believed to be just shy of the Guinness World Record.

The current record for a fleece stands at a 41.1kg, and lies in the National Museum of Australia in Canberra.