Casper, the Friendly Goat

Although he’s not yet on exhibit, we couldn’t resist introducing you to Casper the Friendly Goat this Halloween.

Casper, the friendly goat

Casper is an approximately 6 month old Nubian Goat adopted by the Greensboro Science Center earlier this week. Around 2 months ago, Casper was surrendered to the Guilford County Animal Shelter after being attacked by a dog. The shelter called Red Dog Farm, a local non-profit organization dedicated to the rehabilitation, fostering and adoption of animals of all sizes. The organization took Casper in and paired him with Dick Young, a foster parent, to recover from his injuries and prepare for adoption.

Casper

Dick took great care of Casper. When he first arrived at his foster home, he was injured, skinny and skittish. Dick worked with a veterinarian to treat his wounds, beef him up a bit, and help him become more sociable. Now, he seems to really enjoy being around people and should be a great addition to the Center’s Friendly Farm.

Jessica Hoffman, the Center’s Curator of Birds and Mammals, said she has been waiting quite some time for a Nubian Goat to adopt. A dairy goat known for its characteristic floppy ears, the Nubian goat is typically an affectionate animal who likes people.

Due to his young age, zookeepers are hopeful that Casper will have fun testing his skills on the agility challenges recently added to the petting zoo area by Johnson Controls. Casper is currently in quarantine, so be sure to stay tuned to our Facebook page for more information about when he’ll be joining the other goats in the Friendly Farm. You’ll be able to easily identify him… our Nigerian goats are all dark in color while Casper, as his name suggests, is white as a ghost!

Casper is white as a ghost!

New Goats in the Friendly Farm

Yodel

Two male Oberhasli goats, Dunkel and Yodel, have been added to the Friendly Farm’s Contact Yard! Oberhasli goats are a dairy breed that originated in Switzerland. They are fairly large, with males growing up to about 34 inches tall and weighing up to 150 pounds. Although their size may be intimidating, the pair’s calm and friendly dispositions should make Dunkel and Yodel wonderful additions to the contact yard!

Both goats are yearlings that came to us from a farm in Mt. Airy. In Animal Discovery’s Friendly Farm, their diet consists of commercial goat pellets and hay. One way keepers tell the pair apart is by looking at the dark stripe on their backs. Dunkel has a slightly wider back stripe than Yodel. He’s also a bit more social than Yodel, with an occasional tendency to nibble fingers! As his name suggests, Yodel is the more talkative of the two.

Dunkel

FUN FACT: Oberhasli goats are strong, powerful breed that is sometimes used as a pack animal.

Oberhasli goats are considered a “Recovering” breed by the American Livestock Breed Conservancy. This means that although their population in the United States has increased, they are still being monitored.