An encounter with a herd of Boar goats.

The majestic Boar goat stared at me as if wondering if I would dare intrude upon his space. I had never seen his species before, was unfamiliar with its genealogy, but I was told that it was a highly valued breed and an important meat source in many countries.

I edged closer to the fence, staring back at the billy, appraising its muscular body and its beautiful horns, wondering how it came to be here in this little town in southern California.

(Its owner later told me that he had been made an offer that he couldn't refuse, that had induced him to purchase a pair of these expensive Boar goats, yet he hadn't expected them to breed so abundantly, nor so quickly. He had originally planned to sell most of them but hadn't, and now they numbered about forty. He'd become very fond to them and had given many of them names. He beamed with pride as he told of delivering some of the kids, himself.)

The goat herd continued their activities of grazing and nursing their young, and yet, I was aware ... that they all were aware ... of me. They probably wondered who I was and how I came to be in their territory. I was amused by the fact that they also might be wondering about me ... if I would be a threat to them or to their food supply.

"Oh, don't worry," I mentally communicated to them. "I won't be eating your food, nor any of you. Ugh! I'm only visiting here, however, I think I'd like you better if you were that breed of milk goats with the long ears, the ones that produce rich milk, 'cause I love goat cheese!

Perhaps I'd even like you better if you were the Angora goats with the beautiful, silky fleece that could be made into sweaters and blankets and such. Oh yeah, then, I'd like you much better! If the choice had been mine, I wouldn't have bought you, I would have bought some other species instead!"

Instantly, big Boar goat and a few others, startled me by emitting a chorus of loud, eery sounds ... all in unison! It was as if they were responding to my mental statements, as if they were talking back to me ... telling me just what they thought of me! Needless to say, I hurried away, stunned and wondering, "What the heck....?"

Copyright © 2005 by Gwen Dickerson
All rights reserved.