Thar be goats in Rancho Palos Verdes
The animals, heads buried in dried mustard and the green shoots of non-native oat, munched along quietly. One horned specimen gave in to curiosity and tried to nibble a reporter's notebook.
"They're very hungry animals," Gonzalez said. "They're just going like crazy."
Trucked over from Gonzalez's Ranchito Tivo Boer Goats in Chino, the animals are regularly employed across the region to reduce brush for fire prevention.
This year, they were hired for the first time by the Palos Verdes Peninsula Land Conservancy to clear invasive species as part of a multiyear restoration of part of the 99-acre reserve, which is between McCarrell and Barkentine canyons and is accessible only by a steep trail.
Photo by the incomparable Steve McCrank.
About the Bloggers
Daily Breeze reporter Donna Littlejohn has shared her homes with a succession of wonderful, funny, and occasionally difficult canines -- Muffin, Fritz, Ellie, Mercy, Pilgrim and now Cowboy, an Australian shepherd-border collie, and Tess, a border collie. From strong-willed terriers to weirdly obsessed Australian shepherds, they've invaded her world with boundless energy, wet noses, muddy paws and soggy tennis balls. But they've really brought so much more than that -- like laughter and joy, some unexpected life lessons, and more than a few tears along the way.
E-mail Donna at donna.littlejohn@dailybreeze.com.
Josh Grossberg grew up with the usual array of animals: goldfish, dogs, hamsters, parakeets and turtles. He now owns the loudest dog in the South Bay(Video: Rocket the Dog) and is the least popular person on his block. He spends his free time in dog parks, pet shops and always has an extra plastic bag in his pocket just in case. He also has a cat.
E-mail Josh at josh.grossberg@dailybreeze.com.
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