Hello everybody and welcome to Episode 8 of What’s in that Hole?, a new series I’m writing for my blog.
In the last episode, we met the farmers of the insect world, leaf-cutter ants (a desert version to be specific). Today, we remain in the Arizona desert but find something a bit less…natural.
The holes
In this episode, we have several holes, but all are nearly identical. Below is a picture of one such hole.
Today’s hole (one of several similar holes).
As you can see, these are man-made holes. But what could be lurking inside? Here’s a hint:
A hint.
The occupants
If you’re highly observant and also read my post reviewing the ostrich ranch in Picacho, AZ, you’ll recall that these are the holes from one of the goat feeding stations at the ranch. Specifically, this is where the ranch’s “Hole in the Wall Gang” hangs out:
“Hole in the Wall Gang” at the Rooster Cogburn Ostrich Ranch.
These particular goats are Boer goats, which Wikipedia reports were initially bred in South Africa in the early 1900s. Wikipedia also tells us that Boer goats are “meat” goats rather than “milk” goats. I don’t know for sure, but I think that in this particular case, they aren’t really meat goats. Far more likely is that they are here for our viewing/feeding pleasure, and nothing more.
In case you’re not sure what to do, Rooster Cogburn provides some useful instructions.
“Hole in the Wall Gang” instructions.
I tested out the instructions, and to much success:
Seeing one goat doesn’t do the experience justice though. You need to see the whole picture to see how strange the whole thing is.
Incredibly, the adjacent attraction is even nuttier. As you can see in the pic below, the “Hole in the Wall Gang” sits next to the “Goat Penthouse,” in which the Boer goats are elevated about 20 feet off the ground in a modified scissor-lift. Visitors feed these goats by placing the food pellets on conveyor belts that carry the food up to the goats. Despite the novelty provided by the “Goat Penthouse,” I can’t bring myself to give it my approval. Frankly, it seems unfair for those poor goats to have to spend the day in cramped quarters so high off the ground. At least the hole in the wall gang can roam around if they so choose.
Boer goats in the “Hole in the Wall Gang” and the “Goat Penthouse.”
So there you have it. This episode’s answer to What’s in that hole?: Boer goats. Thanks for reading!
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