Monday, Jan. 03, 2011
Pygmy Goats
An African export initially exhibited in zoos, the pygmy goat today is used for milk and meat like its bigger relatives, in addition to being kept as a pet. (Owners describe the goats as anything but gruff.) The National Pygmy Goat Association has strict requirements for registering an animal. The goats must, for example, have specific coloring and be shorter than 2 ft. (60 cm) from the base of the neck to the ground. On adult males, the more hair growth, the better; the 2010 breed standard eloquently explains that an owner wants "the beard to be full, long and flowing, the copious mane draping, cape-like, across the shoulders." Who would have thought tiny goats could sound so regal?