黑料社

VELENIKI, Croatia 鈥� With wavy horns and a sturdy build, the Istrian goat stands proudly on Croatia鈥檚 national flag. But in the pastures where the white-furred animal hails from, the breed is almost nowhere to be seen.

For centuries, the domestic goat was a staple of rural life in Croatia鈥檚 Istria peninsula, an enchanting region home to rolling hills and picturesque coastline.

But from a population in the thousands in the mid-20th century, the goat鈥檚 numbers have dwindled down to a few dozen, prompting local authorities to launch a conservation program with the help of local breeders.

鈥淚t is crucial to preserve the Istrian goat since it is an indigenous breed,鈥� said Ivan Milohanic, a 32-year-old bus driver, whose herd of goats includes some 20 of the heavy-set white Istrians.

The goats are milked by hand and graze for a few hours daily at a meadow close to the Milohanic family鈥檚 farm house, where he also grows olives, grapes and hosts tourists.

鈥淎lso, there is a strong interest in genuine natural products,鈥� he added, noting the health benefits of the goat鈥檚 milk and meat.

Milohanic, one of a handful of local breeders raising the goats, started years ago and aspires to run a small cheese factory in future.

Milk and meat

The animals were for many years a key food resource, providing milk and meat for villagers too poor to afford a cow or sheep.

鈥淭here was practically no farm without some goats,鈥� said Boro Mioc, a professor at the Zagreb University Faculty of Agronomy, who is helping the revitalization project.

Known as agile and intelligent, goats were the first animal to be milked by man, he added.

In times of hardship, such as during wars or hunger, the 鈥減oor man鈥檚 cow鈥� helped villagers survive due to their modest needs regarding food and shelter.

They were also easy to bring along if the owner needed to flee.

鈥淕oats were always a symbol of poverty but also of the preservation of family,鈥� said Gordan Subara, of the government鈥檚 agency for Istria鈥檚 rural development, in charge of the rehabilitation project.

The death of a goat was once a tragedy for an average Istrian family.

But laws in the 19th and 20th centuries practically banned keeping the animals, which were considered forest-destroying pests, causing the population to shrink dramatically.

In recent decades, the movement of people to urban areas and development of tourism as a source of income have further reduced reliance on the animals.

鈥楻eturn our debt鈥�

The local revitalization project started in 2010 with experts carrying out a genetic analysis to confirm the Istrian breed still existed with a view to adding it to Croatia鈥檚 list of indigenous and protected species.

That followed two years later.

Local authorities are now studying around 30 breeding goats to prevent mating of close relatives, with hopes that artificial insemination can also help double the population annually to reach 1,000 within a decade.

鈥淭he most important goal is to return our debt towards this animal, whom we proclaimed a pest without justification,鈥� Subara told AFP.

This year, they also plan to buy up any Istrian baby goats in the region to prevent their slaughter.

While Istria has changed hands several times over the centuries, the goat has remained an enduring symbol, featuring on the region鈥檚 coat of arms while it was a part of the Austro-Hungarian Empire and Italy.

After Croatia鈥檚 independence from Yugoslavia in 1991, a yellow goat with red horns and hooves was incorporated onto both Istria and the national flag, as well as both coat of arms.

鈥淧reserving that symbolism is also very important,鈥� Subara stressed.

Tourist attraction

Another ray of hope for the goats may lie in tourism.

Olgica Skopac, whose farm is nestled between the picturesque hilltop town of Labin and the coastal resort of Rabac, used two does and a buck to clear her land a few years ago instead of machinery.

Now the animals are an additional draw for the tourists who stay in apartments on her farm.

鈥淲e are renewing a traditional rural household鈥� on nature鈥檚 doorstep, said the energetic 66-year-old, who with her husband grows olives and keeps some 20 Istrian sheep, three donkeys and several goats.

If not going to nearby beaches, tourists can enjoy a sea view from the terrace of the Skopacs鈥� house or hike in the forest surrounding it.

Many visitors are also interested in animals kept in barns in a nearby valley.

鈥淭hey ask questions so we spread the popularity of our Istrian goat,鈥� the smiling woman told AFP, cuddling a goat kid in her arms.

Mioc, the professor, is convinced that the Istrian goat has 鈥渁 future鈥�, but adds: 鈥淲e have to save it first.鈥�