Italian island giving away its goats after numbers overwhelm human population

An island in Italy that is being overrun by goats is offering to give them away for free after seeing their population soar.

In remote places, goats offer all kinds of uses including milk and meat. And, in some areas, the animals are even being used to prevent wildfires.

But on the Italian island of Alicudi, the number of goats has reached six times the human population and they are causing a big nuisance.

Mayor of the island, Riccardo Gullo, came up with the idea to give the goats away to anyone willing to take one after census data estimated that goats outnumbered the human population of 100 by 6 to 1.

Alicudi is the smallest island on Sicily’s Aeolian archipelago and is just five square kilometres in size. It comes under the administration of Lipari – the largest island.

Previously, the goats would spend their time on the island's steep mountains and cliffs, however, as their population has grown, they have begun to venture into more populated areas, wrecking people’s gardens and allotments.

The animals are also reported to have knocked down parts of stone walls and wandered into people’s houses, leaving the island’s residents searching for a solution.

It is hoped the “Adopt a Goat” initiative will provide the answer while dealing with the problem in a humane way. Applications are open until 10 April.

Gullo explained: “We absolutely do not want to even consider culling the animals, so we are encouraging the idea of giving them away.

“Anyone can make a request for a goat, it doesn’t have to be a farmer, and there are no restrictions on numbers.”

He added: “We have already had several phone calls, including from a farmer on Vulcano island who would like to take several goats as, among other things, he produces a ricotta cheese which is much appreciated.”

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