August 5, 2016

I have a long list of favorite animals. A really long list. High on that list are goats. Veterinary students at the University of Pennsylvania are required to learn about large animals as well as small animals. I spent several months caring for horses, cows, goats and sheep at New Bolton Center, Penn Vet’s large animal hospital. By far, my favorite patients were the newborn pygmy goats.

My experience with goats is that they are much like dogs: social, curious, friendly, smart and sometimes really poorly behaved! Popular Science has recently written about the similarities between canines and caprines. Goats are notorious for being escape artists, and for eating every item in site (which is one of the many reasons they are used for weed clearance on large properties).