Crete Wild Goat

Did you know?
why the Crete wild goat is also called "bezoar goat"? This is because in the stomach of the wild goat (and also in ibexes) one often finds "bezoars", i.e. balls of swallowed foreign material (usually hair or fiber) that collects in the stomach and fails to pass through the intestines. In oriental medicine and, in former times, also in Europe medicinal properties were ascribed to bezoars.

Photo Copyright by
M. Tiedemann

Why do zoos keep this animal

The bezoar goat is the ancestor of the domestic goat, and displaying them to the public is therefore of major educational interest. European zoos keep bezoar goats also as an element of the European fauna, which will be seen in the wild only by very few people.

How this animal should be kept

Crete wild goats are social animals and should be kept in groups consisting of several adult males and females and their offspring, or in bachelor groups.

For up to 8 adults an outdoor enclosure of at least 500 m² is required, which should be enlarged by 50 m² per each additional adult. There should also be a smaller enclosure for temporarily separating individual animals as may be required. There must be some shelter protecting from rain, wind and sun, which must be large enough to accommodate all animals, but the animals are cold resistant and no closed stable is required, although a stable may be useful for trapping individual animals.

Climbing opportunities must be provided by natural rocks or artificial rockwork. Marly limestone ("mergel") is an ideal substrate for covering the soil. In case of sand-covered or natural soil there should be paving the feeding sites and around the shelter.

Crete wild goats are selective grazers/browsers. They should be fed on a diet of good hay, grass, branches in leaves, coniferous branches, pellets and mineral salt.