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April 15, 2005

Fainting Goats

Before I started working with the Fulani, I was not that interested in cows, sheep or goats. Now though, just sketch me a Bos Indicus and I will happily label it for you.

So imagine my joy to find this description of a little known (but very useful) breed of goat - the Fainting Goat.

"Fainting goats are a slightly smaller version of the standard goat, who, believe it or not, thanks to a genetic condition called myotonia congenita, actually seem to faint when they are startled.

As strange as this may sound, these little critters have actually served an historical purpose. Shepherds often kept the goats in with their flocks as insurance in case of predator attacks. The theory went something like this- as wolves would come down from the hills to attack a flock of sheep, the goats would become startled and, as per the name of their breed, they would faint. The sheep would make a clean getaway, as the wolves would focus on the stunned goats rather than pursue the fleeing sheep. Not that wonderful if you were one of the goats, sure, but downright dandy if you happened to be a sheep..."

The link above also has a link to the 'International Fainting Goat Assosiation' - now there's an AGM I wouldn' mind attending.

Posted by sahelsteve at April 15, 2005 12:50 PM