animals

The first of November 2018

goats

Today’s goat of the day comes from the film Ski-baz, or The Skier. The Skier was directed and written by Fereidoun Najafi.  The film follows the day in the life of Jolie, a small boy in red wellies who lives in rural, southwest Iran amongst the Bakhtiari tribes. Jolie has cared for a mountain goat that wandered into his village to escape wolves; however, a death in his family network has made his parents wish for it to be sacrificed in a traditional funerary ceremony. To not sacrifice the goat would be to dishonour his family and imbalance important economic distinctions between groups. Jolie is also on a quest to get enough money to buy some new skis so he can compete in a skiing competition, which will give him enough money to potentially keep the goat.

The main theme was not animal rights or coming of age; rather, the steady creep of globalization and change against traditional, tribal values. The Bakhtiari people have long inhabited the southwest corner of Iran as pastoralists, although the number of nomadic pastoralists has significantly dwindled. According to legend, some believe they were descended from Cyrus the Great of Persia. Sheep, goats and their associated by-products are a large part of the traditional economy of the Bakhtiari, but in a world increasingly connected by technology many values fade along with the nomadism. In some ways this is good, for example women can move more freely throughout society. In other ways, letting go of old traditions is sad. By the end of the film, Jolie had seemed to have moved on from his pet goat onto his next quest across the snowy hills. The Skier was nominated for a Asia Pacific Screen Awards for Best Youth Feature Film in 2017.

The balance between the old while welcoming the new can be difficult. As an anthropologist, I really enjoyed this film and learning about this part of the world. As a goat enthusiast, I wish that there had been more goats.

Note: Until today, all of the goats have been from my own personal photos. Today’s goat of the day comes from a picture from the film. 

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Jolie and his pet goat, named simply Mountain Goat.

The thirty first of October: Halloween 2018

goats

Happy Halloween! I hope that you all have some lovely tricks, treats and shenanigans and enjoy!

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I have yet to photograph a goat in a costume; however, this one seems to be plotting some mischief.

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 ninth of October 2018

goats

Autumn always feels like such a busy time of year, perhaps because the amount of daylight shrinks as we get closer and closer to winter. It is good to try to find some moments to rest and reflect and get a bit of sunshine before the cold sets in.

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Enjoy the sunlight, even as the world grows cold.

The twenty eighth of October 2018

goats

Just as humans have populated the earth, so have goats. Just as humans should be free to go where they like, perhaps so should goats. Challenge your boundaries, embark on a new adventure, visit a new place, change your perspective. Don’t let arbitrary borders limit your experience or define who you are as a person. The more you travel, the more you realise that there is more that brings us together than sets us apart.

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A caprine friend looking for adventure.

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.

The twenty fifth of October, 2018

goats, Uncategorized

You are likely aware that the term for a youth goat is kid, much like a casual term for human children. The origin of the word comes from Norse, specifically referring to young goats, its first known use was approximately 900 years ago. Over the centuries, the word kid expanded to people, particularly young, mischievous people, and is likely the origin of the word “child.” The meaning of the word kid expanded to a verb sometime around the 1800s meaning “to gently tease.” I hope that sometimes you get a chance to kid around with your pals.

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A kid and a goat, photographed in Wales.