A small island called Alicudi, with a population of just 100, is being overrun by goats. And a lot of them – 600, in fact.
Alicudi has become so overcrowded that the mayor, Riccardo Gullo, is calling for anyone to adopt a goat if possible.
They usually graze on the mountains and cliffs of the island but have found a way to the residential areas.
The goats have invaded homes and munched on whatever they could find in public parks, private gardens and hedges. The goats have tried to climb stone walls that usually give way underneath their weight as well.
According to the Sicilian regional government, the goats arrived in Alicudi around 20 years ago by a farmer who set them free. The animals were left unsupervised for years, which enabled them to reproduce at an astonishing rate.
As the island becomes overwhelmed by goats, Gullo is trying to give them away by using a program.
Island Rescue: The ‘Adopt a Goat’ Initiative
“Adopt A Goat” is a program that Gullo created to give the goats away for free because the local authority would not take them. The adoption application deadline passed on April 10.
The giveaway will continue until the native herd is greatly reduced, but a few will be left for tourists to pose with.
“I’m not really sure this is the best way to deal with the problem because most people have no idea how to care for a goat, nor do they have the housing and fencing for a goat. Some people think they can have a goat in their house like a pet dog, but that can end in disaster for the goat and the humans for multiple reasons,” Deborah Niemann, Author of Raising Goats Naturally, said.
The goat taker has 15 days to catch and remove the goats from the island to get them on their journey elsewhere.
Gullo thought about the possibility of allowing breeders to take the animals. An entrepreneur offered to take all 600 goats.
The veterinarian will check the condition of the goats before they depart to their new homes.
The “Adopt a Goat” program seemed to be the best way of managing the issue in the most compassionate way.
Other Aeolian islands being overrun by animals could adopt this program.
Alicudi: the Aeolian Archipelago’s Natural Splendor
The Aeolian Islands comprises 7 islands and 5 small islands. The seven islands are Lipari, Vulcano, Salina, Alicudi, Filicudi, Stromboli and Panarea. The five small islands are Basiluzzo, Dattilo, Lisca Nera, Bottaro, and Lisca Bianca.
Alicudi is one of seven islands that make up the Aeolian Archipelago. Alicudi is just off the coast of Sicily.
The island is the chain off Sicily’s northern coast, which includes Stromboli and Lipari.
Alicudi, which is a two or three-hour boat ride from mainland Sicily, falls under the administration of the larger island of Lipari and is the least inhabited island out of the seven Aeolian islands.
The island is popular for its local LSD bread. Since the 1950s, the LSD bread has been illegal.
It’s a popular stop for sailboats and volcano aficionados who can see nearby Stromboli’s constant eruptions. The rugged island has a large volcanic cone rising from the Tyrrhenian Sea.
Alicudi has no hotels or roads, which can make travel a little difficult. People get around by using mules and donkeys to tread steep climbing paths.
However, Alicudi was not the only town to have an unexpected invasion of wandering goats.
Goat Invasions Spark Surprises and Delight Across Continents
In June, a neighborhood in McKinney, Texas, woke up to 40 runaway goats strolling around and taking bites out of residents’ lawns after breaking away from a herd grazing at a nearby development.
During COVID-19, residents of Llandudno in Wales spotted herds of goats roaming the streets after more than a dozen of the animals came down from the hill above the town.
