IN GREECE THEY ARE KNOWN AS SARAKATSANI, HOWEVER IN NEIGHBOURING BULGARIA THEY ARE KNOWN AS KARAKACHANI.
TRADITIONALLY, THE SARAKATSANI SPENT THEIR SUMMER MONTHS ON THE MOUNTAINS AND RETURNED TO THE LOWER PLAINS IN THE WINTER. THE MIGRATION BEGAN ON THE EVE OF SAINT GEORGE'S DAY IN APRIL AND THE RETURN MIGRATION BEGAN ON SAINT DEMETRIUS' DAY (OCT. 26). NEW STATE BORDERS CAME TO SEPARATE THE SUMMER AND WINTER HABITATAS OF MANY SARAKATSANI GROUPS. UP UNTIL THE MIDDLE OF THE 20TH CENTURY THE CROSSING OF BORDERS BETWEEN GREECE, ALBANIA, BULGARIA, AND YUGOSLAVIA WAS RELATIVELY UNPBSTRUCTED. AFTER 1947, AS INTER-STATE BORDERS WERE SEALED WITH THE BEGINNING OF THE COLD WAR, MANY WERE UNABLE TO MIGRATE ANYMORE AND SUBSEQUENTLY SETTLED OUTSIDE OF GREECE. TRADITIONAL SARAKATSANI SETTLEMENTS WERE LOCATED NEAR GRAZING LANDS BOTH DURING SUMMER AND WINTER MONTHS. THE MOST CHARACTERISTIC TYPE OF DWELLING WAS THE DOMED HUT, FRAMED OF BRANCHES AND COVERED WITH THATCH. THE CENTERPIECE OF THE DWELLING WAS A STONE HEARTH. THE FLOORS AND WALLS WERE PLASTERED WITH MUD AND DUNG.
SARAKATSANIKO SHEEP (KARAKACHAN IN BULGARIA) WAS ONCE WIDESPREAD IN THE ENTIRE BALKAN REGION. THE SHEEP ARE SMALL (1.87 FEET) AT THE WITHERS, WITH SHORT AND THIN TAILS. THE WOOL IS COARSE AND LONG (15.4 INCHES) AND THE COLOUR CHANGES WITH AGE (BECOMING LIGHTER). WHEN YOUNG THE ANIMAL IS BLACK, THEN BROWN, AND ENDS UP WITH ALMOST GREY FUR. IN THE BEGINNING OF THE PREVIOUS CENTURY THEIR NUMBERS WERE ABOUT 2.500.000 HEADS, WHILE TODAY IN GREECE EXIST ONLY FOUR FLOCKS WITH A TOTAL NUMBER OF ANIMALS AT ABOUT 1.000. A FLOCK WITH 200 HEAD AND A MIXED FLOCK OF 400 ANIMALS (100 BEING SARAKATSANIKO) RESIDE IN THE VILLAGE OF NEA SANTA IN SAPPES, 600 HEADS RESIDE IN A NEARBY VILLAGE STROFI, AND THE FORTH HERD RESIDES IN KECHRO WITH 100. IN BULGARIA THE NUMBER OF SARAKASANIKO SHEEP (KARAKACHAN) IS ABOUT 200 HEADS WHICH ARE SPREAD ALL OVER THE COUNTRY IN MIXED FLOCKS. SARAKATSANIKO SHEEP ARE ONE OF THE OLDEST SHEEP BREEDS IN EUROPE AND ARE A PART OF THE CULTURAL HERITAGE OF THE ENTIRE BALKAN REGION. IT HAS A HIGH ADAPTABILITY IN HARSH ENVIRONMENT, RESISTANCE TO DISEASES, AND NO SPECIAL FEEDING REQUIREMENTS. HOWEVER, TODAY THE BREED IS IN DANGER OF EXTINCTION.
THE BULGARIAN NATURE PROTECTION ORGANIZATION BEGAN A PROJECT TO SAVE THE KARAKACHAN BREED DOG IN 1992. IT IS ONE OF THE OLDEST EUROPEAN BREEDS AND WAS USED TO GUARD LIVESTOCK (MAINLY SHEEP) AND PROTECT THEM FROM CARNIVORS (WOLVES AND BEARS) IN THE HIGH MOUNTAINS. WHILE SEARCHING FOR THESE DOGS THE SHEEP WERE DISCOVERED AS WELL AS TRADITIONAL BREED OF KARAKACHAN HORSES (KNOWN AS SARAKATSANIKO IN GREECE). THE MAIN PART OF THE POPULATION OF THE BREED HAD BEEN SAVED IN THE STATE LIVESTOCK FARMS (PARTICULARLY IN MOUNTANIOUS AREAS). HOWEVER, AFTER 1991 WHEN STATE FARMS STOPPED TO FUNCTION, THESE DOGS BECAME 'HOMELESS' AND MOST WERE KILLED BY HUNTERS ONCE MORE. DUE TO THEIR EXTREMLY LOW NUMBERS AND SHORTAGE OF FEMALES, SHEPHERDS STARTED TO BE CROSSBRED WITH OTHER MIX-BRED DOGS OR FOREIGN BREEDS. THE GOVERNMENT HAD NOT SUPPORTED BREED SURVIVAL OUTSIDE OF INCLUDING THEM IN THE RED DATA LIST AS A DISAPPEARING BREED (OR CRITICAL).
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