Last week, the Town was notified that a number of the visiting goats in a herd contracted for vegetation management and fire mitigation in Tiburon became ill and several passed away. Biologists, contractor staff, and police have surveyed the area where the goats were stationed and have found no apparent hazards. Our initial suspicion is that the goats may have had too much space to roam and overate, which can be fatal to them. It is also possible that our local French broom was not tolerable to their stomachs. 

The company that supplied the goats is working closely with UC Davis Veterinary School to assist in trying to determine the cause of illness. In the meantime, the remaining goats have been removed from the area. The vegetation will still be removed by human and machine labor, so community members will likely see some equipment in various sites in the coming weeks. We hope the goats will return in the spring.