Sheep come running when Larbi El Ghazouani pours alfalfa and straw into their troughs twice a day. He had counted on selling the bulk of his sheep to Moroccans preparing for early June's Eid Al-Adha holiday,

In the first request in 29 years, he cited economic hardship and the climate crisis for dwindling herds and rising prices.

Morocco’s King Mohammed VI, the country’s “commander of the faithful,” called on citizens to forgo the traditional sheep sacrifice during Eid al-Adha in early June. The reason: a severe drought that has reduced livestock numbers and driven up prices.