Billy Goat Grinnigan and the Lost Galapagos Goats
My name is Billy Goat Grinnigan. I was the last of the Galapagos Goats. My ancestors were introduced in the 1920’s onto the Galapagos Island of Santiago. Human sailors brought my forebearers to this remote island off the coast of South America, and left us to grow and prosper.
And we did. We adapted to Santiago prodigiously. We ate so much that we threatened the island itself. Without the plants to hold the soil together, erosion accelerated. We chewed through virtually every square foot of flora on 226 square miles of island.
One day, humans decided to exterminate us. They hunted us from horseback, on foot and even from helicopters! We retreated deep into inaccessible places but to no avail. The humans employed specially trained undercover goats to seduce us and lure us out of hiding so they could slaughter us.
Finally, it came down to me, the very last Galapagos Goat. A man on horseback chased me and shot me dead.
Galopagos Goats are now extinct.
What a shame for us, but the humans are happy now.