Text: Barbie Latza Nadeau and Amarachi Orie, CNN, editors/ky, photo/network
Alicudi, a remote island in Italy, has only about 100 inhabitants but about 100 wild goats, creating a unique human-to-animal ratio on the island.
But this year, the ratio is seriously out of balance.
The number of goats has already exceeded expectations by six times, and there are far more goats per capita than anywhere else. Mayor Ricardo Gulo appealed to anyone who could help solve the problem.
Gulo told CNN that he doesn't care if applicants know how to raise goats, as long as there is a boat that can take the goats off the island, just catch them.
Climbing a stone wall usually collapses due to its own weight, which is not the best way to do it.
According to the Sicilian Regional Government, about 20 years ago, a farmer introduced the goats to the island and then released them.
For years, these orphaned animals graze freely on the cliffside of Alikudi, and they appear on almost all postcards from this volcanic island.
However, if this condition continues, the rate at which they reproduce can be alarming.
Anyone interested in adopting up to 50 goats can make a formal request to the community until April 10, the mayor said, adding that the deadline will be extended until all goats have been adopted.
Applicants must send a request to the local government via email and pay a stamp fee of €16 (approximately $17).
"Since we first made this announcement, we've received dozens of letters," Gullo said. Among them is a goat cheese producer from the nearby island of Vulcano.
"We want people to try to domesticate these animals instead of eating them. He added. However, the authorities do not conduct an investigation into the adopter's intentions.
Once the goats are assigned, the captor will have 15 days to catch and take them away.
Although the giveaway will continue until the local herd is significantly reduced, there will still be some left for visitors to see.
Alicudi is the least populated of the seven Aeolian islands in Italy and is located in a chain of islands off the northern coast of Sicily, including the islands of Stromboli and Lipari.
In addition to the goats, the island is also famous for its local psychedelic bread, which was banned in the 50s of the 20th century, and is a popular tourist destination for sailing and volcano enthusiasts.
This rugged island has a huge volcanic cone that rises from the Tyrrhenian Sea. It has no hotels and no roads. According to the website "Sicily Tourism", the mode of transport is mules and donkeys walking along steep climbing paths.
Alikudi is not the only place where a large influx of goats is occurring.
In June, a community in McKinney, Texas, was surprised to find that 40 goats had left a nearby development to stroll on residents' lawns.
In March 2020, during the coronavirus lockdown, residents of Llandudno, Wales, spotted herds of goats strolling down the streets, after a dozen goats ventured down the hill.
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