The beautiful islands of Italy are so covered by goats that they become dangerous and cause panic among locals. Alikudi is the westernmost island of the Aeolian Islands, also known as the Lipari Islands.
Compared to the larger sister Lipari, with an average population of just under 13,000, Alicudi only has an estimated 100 regular residents. They are slowly overtaken by the local wild goat community, and at the end they contain 600 animals. Tourists visiting Sicily are fascinated by these strange animals roaming around the volcanic atoll, but the inhabitants have had to deal with the considerable damage they cause.
Wild goats slowly became a major issue of concern for locals, as they ruined the dry stone walls of the terrace and devoured shrubs and plants protected throughout the Alikudi nature reserve.
They are also potentially dangerous as some animals are reportedly approaching their homes to eat cacti, olive trees and caper plants.
The goats were originally brought to the island by the farmers themselves about 20 years ago, but some fled to hide in the most isolated areas of Alikudi.
Last year, the company was hired to round them up. However, they gave up after a week due to the rocky footpaths of the mountain island and plenty of brushes to hide goats.
Currently, authorities are considering culling animals. Giovanni Deltac, a rural development officer in Sicily, told The Times: “They eat everything and are dangerous. I wanted to avoid this, but ull is the only way and the alternative is to destroy the island.”
A group of around 30 local hunters previously hired by authorities to shoot wild boars in Sicily are trained by the ull of goats, which could begin at the end of the tourist season.
Even locals. Resident Elise Colette said she wasn't happy to see the hunter shoot the goat down. “That's cruel,” she said. “But goats eat everything, so eating them may be part of a natural cycle.”
