King Mohammed VI of Morocco asked Moroccans on Wednesday to abstain from performing the rite of slaughtering sheep on Eid al-Adha this year due to a drop in the country’s herd following years of drought.

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,

King Mohammed VI is asking Moroccans not to slaughter sheep during the Feast of Sacrifice in early June. The Moroccan king is doing so because the livestock population has already shrunk considerably due to the severe drought Morocco is facing.