It is up for debate whether they’re the greatest of all time, but these goats do one job that puts them top of the mountain, or at least, the river valley.
This is the sixth year the livestock have been brought into Lethbridge and in that time the goat herds have grazed roughly 750 hectares of noxious plants in the river valley. This year the goats will be working between Alexander Wilderness Park, Indian Battle Park, Botterill Bottom Park and Pavan Park, which was just added to this year’s schedule.
Parks Natural Resources Coordinator Jackie Cardinal says one of the biggest benefits of having goats in the area is the fact that there is no need to use chemicals to get rid of the weeds.
“We bring the goats in and they get most of the water they need from the weeds that they eat, they get water back at camp, and we take them down to the river to drink. But the impact is very minimal which I think is the best part,” Cardinal says.
She explains that the goats spend the majority of their day grazing on weeds that are invading the area, such as leafy spurge, wormwood and thistle, and when they do this they only take the weed and leave the native grass and vegetation.
While the goats are in Lethbridge they will have a herder who oversees them, along with the herding dog Skyp, who will not only be keeping an eye on them but also helping move them between the different park areas they will be working and camp. As well the herder can answer any questions people have about the goats and the work they are doing.
Cardinal says while she is not sure if there is an increase in traffic from the community where the goats are in the area, she knows she sees an increase in phone calls inquiring about where they are. However, with that knowledge, people are being reminded that while they are more than welcome to take pictures of the goats, it is important to not pet them or the herding dog while they are working.
A herder oversees the goats. He works with trained herder dogs to move and protect the goats from predators. Residents are asked to keep their dogs out of the grazing areas and to not pet the herding dogs or goats while they are working.
As of June 11th there were 125 goats working in the river valley, but Cardinal says that another 75 will be added for a herd of 200.
