ANCHORAGE, Alaska (AP) A goat’s hairy nose is what makes this Alaska town such a welcoming haven for travelers.
The town of Goat, a small town of about 5,000 residents about 50 miles south of Anchorage, is about a half hour away from a remote area that has a goat herd that runs for hundreds of miles a year.
The town’s residents have embraced the goat’s presence.
They don’t wear any goatskin hats or use the goat name, instead calling it a “goat beard.”
The town has a herd of goats that have grown so large they’re the size of golf courses.
The goats are so big, people often don’t notice them.
They’re not as tall as they were before, and some even weigh more than a football field.
They are the only animal on the island that can swim and they are protected from the elements.
“There are so many goats and they’re always around, and I think it’s nice,” said neighbor Amy St. John.
“We love them.
It’s very, very peaceful.”
St. John, a retired teacher, said she’s known the goats since she was a child and said she has never felt unsafe in her own home.
But it’s not just the goats that make Goat a friendly place to visit.
People say the goats have brought people together, and the town’s nickname “Goat” is an affectionate way of saying “friend.”
People have told St. Louis that she and her husband have become friends over the years.
It was only recently that they noticed the goats were there.
She said the goats are more friendly because the town is surrounded by forests, so it’s hard to get lost.
“We’re a little bit isolated,” she said.
“They’re like a little bird that’s not going to attack me.”
She said they’ve been talking to each other on the phone since the goats moved into the area.
“When they first arrived, I didn’t know how to respond to them, but now I can say they’re really friendly,” St. Johns said.
“It’s really kind of funny because it’s an isolated community.
You can’t just go to any town in the state, but we’re pretty close.”