Grazing goats back in Police Point Park

“Goats are really good at eating a variety of plants,” says Ian Langill, assistant chief interpreter. “Not a lot of things eat leafy spurge, but goats love it.”

The goats are in the third year of a five-year project. The goal is to get rid of the leafy spurge by the end of the fifth year.

The goats are in the park for a week and will be back for another week in mid- to late-August.

“We want them to come twice during the year,” says Langill. “We get a bunch chewed down, it will start growing again, and then we hit it one more time.”

There are 200 goats ranging in age from kids to adults grazing in the park. A shepherd and his two border collies take them out every morning around 5 a.m. to start eating and bring them back during the hottest part of the day for a break in their pen.

“They rest in the shady area and cooling down,” Langill explains. “Once it starts cooling down the shepherd brings them back out.”

Visitors to Police Point Park are encouraged to stop and observe the goats but are reminded that the park is not an off-leash area.

“Last year there were people with off-leash dogs who did go and chase the goats,” says Langill.

He says there was an incident last year when a goat was bitten by a dog and the park is hoping to avoid that this year.

“We want people to see them,” says Langill. “But if you have your dogs just take a peek and keep going.”

The goats’ pen is next to the Interpretive Centre and Langill says during the afternoon when they are cooling down in the shade might be the easiest time to check them out. Anyone wanting to see them in action however, can stop by the Interpretive Centre and the staff will let you know where to find them.

by Meghan Cobb

Grazing goats back in Police Point Park

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