Damara goat

The Damara goat’s conspicuously large, fl oppy ears help it to keep cool when roaming the dry, barren landscape of the Damaraland in Namibia. Excess body heat is dissipated to the surrounding environment via the thin skin on the animal’s ears. The same principle applies for the big ears of the African elephant.

Humans first began domesticating goats about 10,000 years ago. The goat still provides livelihood security in many parts of Africa, even today. A family that raises Damara goats is well supplied with meat, milk and leather. The animals are so highly valued that Damara goats are often given as dowry for a daughter in traditional marriages.

The Damara goat’s horns consist of an inner core of bone covered by a tough keratin sheath.