animal sanctuary

The sixteenth of March 2019

goats

There are those of us who have the ability to totally go with the flow. Meet Brownie, another caprine friend from The Haven Zoo. Brownie is known for being super chill and getting along with everyone, humans, animals, and even our shy, special goat of the day from yesterday, Cece. Sometimes, the best thing to do in life is just to accept where you are, in the now and be grateful for what’s around. Things aren’t so bad, and you might realize that your now is actually your sanctuary. Please check out The Haven and consider their opportunities to volunteer and support!

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Brownie knows how to chill and is a friend to all. 

The fifteenth of March 2019

goats

Wonderful things come in small packages, for example Cece from The Haven Zoo! Before she found a home at the haven, she was attacked by wild dogs when she was young, affecting her growth. She doesn’t usually hang out with the herd, due to her smaller size and some of her particular needs she gets extra attention from her human caregivers and non-caprine zoo-mates, especially the pigs! Cece is proof positive that you don’t have to be the biggest and you don’t have to blend in to find your place in the world. If you are interested in opportunities to support Cece and her friends, check out opportunities to volunteer and support The Haven Zoo!

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Doesn’t Cece have an amazing smile?

The thirteenth of March 2019

goats

I am pleased to introduce you to Annie, Ernest’s sister from The Haven Zoo. Annie and Ernest are known around the Haven as a warm and friendly pair who greet visitors. Research has shown that goats often try to form relationships with the humans in their lives, similar to dogs. Perhaps it is because after 10,000 years of living together, goats see us as kindred spirits? Or perhaps it’s because The Haven Zoo is a wonderful home and Annie and Ernest are keen to show visitors around? Find out more about how to support Ernest, Annie and the rest by clicking here and come back for more goats tomorrow!

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Annie loves showing people around her home at the Haven

The twelfth of March 2019

goats

Today’s goat comes from Lavonia, Georgia USA. His name is Ernest and he is a lucky fellow who lives at The Haven Zoo. The Haven was founded by JohnieSue Thurman to provide a safe home for displaced exotic animals, promote conservation and animal welfare, as well as providing an opportunity for interactive education with visitors. JohnieSue is an anthropologist who specializes specifically in primates, although the zoo is home to a variety of animals, including a dozen or so goats! The Haven Zoo also has opportunities for volunteers and support.

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Meet Ernest, one of the residents of The Haven Zoo.

The eighth of December 2018

goats

Today is the first day I have updated Goat of the Day from my iPhone! Screens get a lot of criticism, including contributing to insomnia, anxiety, depression, ruining our relationships, making us terrible parents and generally slow down our brains. However, I think that the smart phone revolution has a lot of benefits for humanity. For example, it makes it a lot easier to keep tabs on old friends you may have otherwise lost contact with. My family relies heavily on calendars in order to stay organized and a lot of notes and journaling that would have required lugging around a bunch of things is eliminated – I can keep it all tucked away in my pocket! I also love being able to quickly share photographs – when I was a kid if I wanted to share photographs you would have to get the film developed and pay for prints – now with a few clicks I can send photos across the Atlantic and basically no cost as things happen. I wonder, if in a few decades the weariness over such devices will have faded the same way suspicion over other new technologies in the past.

The seventeenth of November 2018

goats

One of the many reasons why I find goats to be such inspiring creatures is that they always appear to be thinking about something. What do goats think about? Do they think about the welfare of other goats? Do they think about climate change? Do they think about geopolitical mishaps and troublesome election results? Do they concern themselves with human affairs at all? Is there some kind of caprine realpolitik that they are all carrying out; or rather, a moral ethical code each goat is compelled to fulfill? Are they just contemplating which plant is would be the delicious? Are they plotting an eventual global goat liberation moment where they will collectively free themselves of their pens and fences and break free from human bondage? It is unlikely that humans will ever discover the answer to these and other questions about goat thought and goat behavior.

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What are you thinking about, sir?

The fourth of November 2018

goats

There are some people who advise to never look back, cautioning against regret. There are other people who advise reflection and contemplation. So long as it does not strain your neck, it is useful sometimes to look back upon your achievements to find inspiration for accomplishing future goals. If you achieved something amazing in the past, you can achieve something amazing in the future.

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A glance at the past can reveal your ability to achieve amazing things. 

The third of November 2018

goats

Everyone has a story to tell, but sometimes there is not always someone there to listen. To be a good friend, sometimes you have to be interested rather than interesting. Have a listen to someone’s story, it might be entertaining, you might learn something and most of all listening is a wonderful act of kindness.

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Good storytellers are also great listeners.

The thirtieth of October 2018

goats

In a previous post, goat’s dietary preferences were discussed and some mythology about what goats actually eat were dispelled. However, goats do enjoy eating some unusual things. For example, goats can eat and digest poison ivy leaves without issue. The urushiol compound that causes the nasty, blistering rash in humans does not effect them at all, leading some people to use them as a means to mitigate and destroy poison ivy. You can even hire a herd of goats in some areas to take care of excess brush and such plants! In the UK, poison ivy is rare, but there are still unpleasant, rash-inducing plants about, such as stinging nettle. Unsurprisingly, goats do not experience similar negative reactions to stinging nettle, and are known to enjoy the leaves as a snack. Perhaps goat browsing is an effective and fun solution to problematic plants.

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Snacking on stinging nettles in Kent. Yum?

The twenty seventh of October 2018

goats

In full disclosure, I have spent my life living in urban areas. Goats were fascinating creatures at petting zoos for me growing up. I rarely set foot on any actual farms until I was an adult. Writing Goat of the Day on Facebook and now for this blog has brought me to many wonderful goat stories – goats helping out other goats, goats getting into hilarious and bizarre situations, and the evolution of goats alongside the evolution of humans. Sadly, it has come to my attention that some goats, just like some people, are victims of neglect and abuse. Thankfully, there are sanctuaries that exist for these goats to be cared for and live happy lives, such as Goats of Anarchy in the US and Buttercups Sanctuary for Goats in the UK. On Thursday, I was lucky enough to have an opportunity to visit Buttercups and spend a lovely afternoon hanging out with goats and taking pictures with my family. So far, this blog has featured all photographs I have taken; however, I am happy to accept goat material to share in future posts. I hope you all have a lovely weekend.

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A new caprine friend I met on Thursday in Kent.