Well, he’s a yawning goat, I must confess. But the photo begs for an alternate characterization.
Who needs Smokey Bear when you’ve got a hungry goat? These animals deserve some atta boys (and girls) for their hard labor in fire prevention. In the Oakland and Berkeley Hills you’ll find agile bucks and does doing what goats do best: decimating vegetation.
Properly supervised, goats can naturally and effectively clear tracts of grasses and weeds that might otherwise serve as fire kindling. Improperly supervised, goats can mess with native species, owing to their indiscriminate palates. I photographed this particular [well-supervised] herd at Point Pinole last year:
Goats at Point Pinole - ©ingrid
Goat at Point Pinole - ©ingrid
E Magazine ran a piece on the topic of Bay Area goats employed by UC Berkeley, San Francisco Airport and various public agencies in the quest to reduce fire dangers without the use of chemical agents.
Anyone who knows me knows I have a soft spot for these beautiful and clever animals. I’ve always been an urban dweller, but when we finally snag ourselves a big enough swath of green space, it will be sanctuary to some rescued goats. Properly supervised, of course.
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It would be nice to have grass cutters like that at my house. Not to worried about fire prevention where I live but it takes a lot to mow 2 acres. Bella