Greetings friends of Timbavati Wildlife Park and Happy New Year to you all! This week we are talking about the Pygmy Goat which is a native of West Africa. It was developed from the West African Dwarf Goat which is mostly found in the Cameroon Valley. They were taken to Europe during the Colonial Era and brought over to the United States in the 1950’s.
Pygmy Goat colors can be gray, white, brown or black, let’s just say the they can be any barnyard animal color for no apparent reason, you know why? Because everything I have read and all the time I have spent with these animals, I cant tell you why they’re the color that they are, they just are.
Now why do they have rectangular eyes? This is something we can look at a bit more scientifically without getting lost in so many combinations. There is a predator/prey divide in the shapes of pupils and apparently this eye shape gives them a visual advantage. It’s a panoramic view for the one defense mechanism the pygmy goat has which is skedaddling!
Now for the who? Who are they running from? Pygmy goats typically will have beef with canines. Domestic dogs, coyotes, wolves and foxes are all reasons for vigilance. Bears and mountain lions are also on the avoid list for pygmy goats as well.
Most people don’t think about it but goats are great jumpers. If they were basketball players you’d say they have “hops”, they’re capable of getting enough air to land on the hood of your Toyota (i.e. small car). They can swim too, these guys are all kinds of Johnny Weissmueller when it comes to getting in the water. I don’t think they would do much to an alligator like Tarzan would, but hey with those panoramic pupils they will see it coming sooner and can skedaddle!
Watch this week’s video for more fun facts about the pygmy goat!