This little Alpine Goat, a cousin of the French mountain goat, is one of our friendly neighbors. Many people here keep goats for milk, which often can be turned into butter, cheese, ice cream, and even soap. Goats also are kept as pets, especially for children.
Choosing these frisky and friendly animals as pets should not be surprising. Goats – not dogs or cats – were the first wild animals domesticated by early humans, according to researchers who reviewed primitive cave dwelling artifacts.
Goats have quite a history. They were among the most valuable assets of migrating peoples and provided milk and meat on long sailing voyages. America’s first goats reportedly were brought in by Spanish settlers in the 1500s. English pilgrims brought goats over on the Mayflower and considered them to be very valuable property, according to the 1630 census of the Jamestown Colony. (Brooklin, Maine) Click on image to enlarge it.