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.

With Morocco’s sheep herds dwindling at an alarming rate, King Mohammed VI made a rare break with tradition by urging families to forego buying sheep to sacrifice during the upcoming Eid Al-Adha.

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.