Leading up Eid el Adha (more about that later…), families buy sheep as far in advance as they can. Just how early has to do with the amount of money they’re able to spend on food and lodging for their doomed houseguests, and how fast they can come up with the huge amount of cash to buy the sheep in the first place. Your on-the-cheap-side sheep costs around $250.
Another option, which I haven’t been able to confirm, may be a reserved spot in a space somewhere in Casablanca, where I’ve heard families have to pay more per night than any hotel I’ve ever stayed at in Morocco. Or so I’ve heard…
I’ve felt the presence of the sheep in the city much more than I’ve actually seen them in the past few days. Early Sunday morning I was sleeping at Annemarie’s place in Rabat when I woke up to the footsteps of a herd being led through the cobblestone streets of the Casbah des Oudaiahs.
Then on Sunday afternoon I was back in Casablanca and sitting at my computer when I heard a baaa coming from the street, or so I thought. I headed to the terrace with my camera, ready to capture the contradiction of a sheep in the street. (Donkeys are old news, but sheep!?) The street was empty, though.
It turns out the sound was coming from a neighbor’s terrace, though I couldn’t see it. Yesterday, I heard more baaas coming from the other side of the apartment and caught a glimpse of one of my new, though temporary, neighbors.
Stay tuned to find out what has become of this guy and others, and why. I’m sure you can handle the anticipation. After all, things could be much worse!
Petit à petit...شوية بشوية 
Your post reminded me of the beginning of one of my favorite David Sedaris stories. I need to know. What sounds do sheep make in Morocco? What about other animals?