Angels Knoll Goats Wasting No Time in Brush Clearance
Eric Richardson
[Flickr]
A nearly bare hillside at 4th and Hill, where Monday morning a herd of goats was put to work clearing brush.
DOWNTOWN LOS ANGELES — The herd of goats put to work on the steep hillside separating Upper and Lower Angels Knoll parks may be attracting lots of attention, but that hasn't kept it from getting the job done. In only two and a half days the herd has virtually cleared what was previously a heavily weeded hillside.
Those interested in checking out Downtown's oddest attraction better move quickly. Once their hillside work is finished, these goats are headed out.
Update (Thursday evening): CRA put out a press release this afternoon saying that the goats are headed home at 10am, Friday morning.
The goats are a green, cost-effective approach to clearing the hillside, which is owned by the Community Redevelopment Agency. The CRA reported that the contract with Ranchito Tivo Boer Goat would save $3,000 compared to previous clearance jobs.
While the herd has been quite effective in tending to their work, they've been even more successful as a Public Relations effort for the agency. The oddity of the goat story has generated press around the world, with each piece mentioning the CRA's green initiative.
Locally, the hillside has become a popular attraction with residents and office workers. Midday today the fence separating Upper Angels Knoll park from the hillside was a popular viewing area and occasional petting zoo. Cameras were out in plenty as people took in the odd urban scene.
While initial reports had put the herd's stay at two weeks, it's clear that the animals won't be needing their entire reservation. With their work nearly complete, the goats won't be here much longer.
Those interested in seeing the animals should head to 4th and Hill. From there a stairway climbs to Upper Angels Knoll.
djm on September 10, 2008, at 08:32PM – #1
Didnt the Getty Center do the same thing with their hill side?
Dave on September 10, 2008, at 08:47PM – #2
that's cool! smart but very random
Eric Richardson (@blogdowntown) on September 10, 2008, at 09:12PM – #3
djm: Getty did, but with less goats over a much bigger area -- 60 goats for 110 acres.
seb on September 11, 2008, at 08:18AM – #4
This is sooo cool.
office work on September 11, 2008, at 10:16AM – #5
what happens to all of their droppings?
Eric Richardson (@blogdowntown) on September 11, 2008, at 10:49AM – #6
The droppings become fertilizer, which lets the weeds grow back faster and lets us get the goats back sooner.
Dennis on September 11, 2008, at 11:51AM – #7
I lived on Moloka'i in Hawaii for a year, and we used goats on the ranch I worked at to keep the brush clear. It's AMAZING how much they can eat. And they will eat anything, even if it has thorns. They are like garbage disposals.
Purple Haze on September 11, 2008, at 04:19PM – #8
Herbivores eliminate weeds on Angels' Knoll in only THREE DAYS!
Will Lipstick Palin take credit for that too?
Brigham on September 11, 2008, at 08:34PM – #9
I hope organizations across LA (esp. in DTLA) continue to look for green ways to solve our everyday problems (such as clearing weeds). Not only is it nice break from the mundane, but the message is truly to incorporate a lot more of "nature" back into man made territories. More trees do count too.
Chattycathy on September 12, 2008, at 07:45AM – #10
Hmmm, think I'll quit my day job and go into the goat rental business. Sounds lucrative.I'll call it, "Weeds Got Your Goat?"
Dubby on October 14, 2008, at 03:35PM – #11
Goats ain't so green after all. Rumor has it they damaged if not killed a bunch of trees by stripping off their bark at this site. Will the contractor be hired back to replant - I doubt it.
There is also a lot of concern about goats being vectors for weeds as they move from site to site with weed seed in their gut and on their fur.
Goats don't spew exhaust like mowers do, but weeds are pollution too.
http://www.cal-ipc.org/resources/pdf/BioPollution.pdf