Goats have infested an Italian island

Authorities on the Italian island of Alicudi counted the goats and found that their number was six times higher than the number of people living there. In response, the island's mayor, Ricardo Gullo, launched the "Adopt a Goat" initiative, calling for wild goats to be given away to everyone, The Guardian reports .

Alicudi is the smallest island of the Sicilian archipelago: its area is five square kilometers, and only 100 people live there. It is located two to three hours by boat from Sicily and is under its jurisdiction.

Previously, when the number of wild goats was not so high, they avoided populated areas and lived mainly on steep hills. The harmonious cohabitation of people and goats attracted tourists.

But in recent years, the goats have multiplied rapidly - because of this, they had to climb the hills and rocks to the village to the people. This led to the fact that they began to destroy vegetation, enter the plots, gardens and vegetable gardens of local residents and demolish stone fences. It was only when the goats started entering the houses of local residents that the authorities took notice of the problem.

The “Adopt a Goat” initiative was considered the most humane way to solve the issue of overpopulation. The mayor noted that the authorities do not consider killing animals as an option at all, so they support the idea of ​​​​distributing goats. Anyone can apply: you can take as many animals as you like and you don’t have to be a farmer to do so.

“We have already received several calls, including a farmer from the island of Vulcano who wants to take several goats at once. What's more, it makes ricotta, which is also welcome, Gullo said. “The opportunity to domesticate a goat, if anyone has one, will allow us to solve the problem beautifully and humanely.”

For the first time, the former councilor of the island, Paolo Lo Cascio, spoke about the problems arising from the rapid reproduction of goats in 2008.

According to his calculations, the number of animals on the island is not 600, but has already exceeded 800, and they pose a serious threat to vegetation. He also believes that Alicudi is a difficult island in terms of landscape: first you need to get to the goats, and then you have to be able to catch them. “It was necessary to intervene 10 years ago,” the former adviser added.

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