Domestic Goatヤギ

Capra hircusNE— Not Evaluated

The domestic goat is one of humanity's oldest domesticated animals, bred from the wild bezoar goat of Southwest Asia roughly 10,000 years ago. Highly adaptable browsers, goats eat a remarkably wide range of vegetation and thrive in habitats from arid mountains to small farms, which has made them both an agricultural staple and, when feral, a serious threat to island ecosystems. As a domestic species the goat is not evaluated by the IUCN, but its global population now exceeds 1.1 billion.

Domestic Goat (reference photo)
Photo: Michael Palmer / CC BY-SA 4.0 / Source / cropped

Species Data

Classification
Cetartiodactyla / Bovidae Source
Size
Varies greatly by breed; the small Shiba goat weighs about 20–30 kg
Weight
About 20–27 kg for females of small breeds; males of large breeds can exceed 140 kg
Lifespan
Average about 10–18 years (varies by source and breed)
Diet
Herbivore Browsing herbivore that prefers leaves and vegetation growing high up; known for voracious feeding on almost anything, sometimes stripping bark and roots entirely
Activity
Diurnal, curious, and social, living in herds; highly agile and able to climb steep rocky terrain
Distribution
The domestic goat was domesticated from the wild goat (Capra aegagrus) of Southwest Asia and Eastern Europe around 10,000 years ago in what is now Iran, making it one of the first animals ever domesticated. It is now raised worldwide, with over 1.1 billion goats recorded in 2022. Source
Sources
ja.wikipedia.org en.wikipedia.org

Did You Know?

  • Goats have horizontal, rectangular pupils that can rotate to stay level even when the head is tilted more than 50 degrees, giving them an unusually wide field of view. Source
  • Studies have shown goats can distinguish between photos of happy and angry human faces, suggesting they may be able to perceive human emotional states. Source
  • Feral goats have devastated native vegetation on many islands, leading the species to be listed among the '100 of the World's Worst Invasive Alien Species.' Source

Where to See This Species

Operating facilities registered on this site: Japan 19

Adventure WorldWakayamaOpened in 1978

Source

Gokatsuraike Animal ParkMieAbout 10 minutes from the Seiwa-Taki Interchange.

Source

Shirotori ZooKagawaBy car, about 10 minutes from the Hiketa Interchange on the Takamatsu Expressway via National Route 11 toward Takamatsu.

Source

Tobe Zoological Park of Ehime PrefectureEhimeOpened in 1988

Source

Utsunomiya DoubutsuenTochigiAbout 5 minutes from the Utsunomiya IC on the Tohoku Expressway; free parking for 1,000 cars.

Source

Kyoto City ZooKyotoOpened in 1903

Source

Sayama Shiritsu Chikouzan Kouen Kodomo DoubutsuenSaitamaFrom the west exit of Sayamashi Station on the Seibu Shinjuku Line, take the Seibu Bus bound for Chikozan Koen to the last stop, or the bus bound for Saiboku and get off at Kamijuku, then walk 15 minutes.

Source

Kiryuugaoka DoubutsuenGunmaIf driving, set your car navigation to "Kiryugaoka Amusement Park" (Kiryugaoka Yuenchi) rather than "Kiryugaoka Zoo" to reach the parking lot (searching by the zoo name may give an incorrect route).

Source

Saitamakenkodomodoubutsu Shizen KouenSaitamaOpened in 1980

Source

Ichikawashi DoushokubutsuenChibaAddress: 284-1 Omachi, Ichikawa, Chiba.

Source

Shuunanshitokuyama DoubutsuenYamaguchiOpened in 1960

Source

Sendaishiyagiyama Doubutsu KouenMiyagiTake the Sendai Subway Tozai Line to Yagiyama Zoological Park Station; the zoo is right by the elevator from Central Exit 1 (about 12 minutes from Sendai Station).

Source

Chiba Zoological ParkChibaOpened in 1985

Source

IKEDA ZOOOkayamaFrom the West Exit of JR Okayama Station, take an Okaden Bus bound for Chuo Byoin (Central Hospital) to the Kyoyama Iriguchi stop, then walk about 12 minutes.

Source

Tennoji ZooOsakaOpened in 1915

Source

Ueno ZooTokyoOpened in 1882

Source

Iida Shiritsu DoubutsuenNaganoAddress: 33 Ogimachi, Iida, Nagano.

Source

Himeji Shiritsu DoubutsuenHyogoOpened in 1951

Source

Hamamatsu Zoological GardensShizuokaOpened in 1950

Source

Former facilities

North Safari SapporoHokkaidoOpened in 2005

Source

Closed: 2025-09-30 Official Site

Temporarily closed facilities

Koufushiyuuki Kouen Fuzoku DoubutsuenYamanashi

Source

Temporarily closed Official Site

Latest news

6

Open the news index

Source links to official sites, official YouTube channels, and news aggregators such as Zoo Ring. Visit the publisher for the full item.

Conservation Story

Conservation Status

Not Evaluated (NE)

Sources

ja.wikipedia.org

Support Conservation

A visit is a small, positive way to support the daily lives of the animals you care about.

Visit
A visit itself helps support the facility.
Animal Supporter Programs & Giving
Find ways to support the facility through its official website.
Furusato Nozei
Municipally run facilities may share official guidance for this Japanese hometown-tax program.

FAQ

When were goats first domesticated?
Goats were domesticated from the wild bezoar goat (Capra aegagrus) around 10,000 years ago in the region of present-day Iran, making them one of the first animals ever domesticated by humans. Source
Why do goats have rectangular pupils?
Their horizontal, rectangular pupils can rotate to stay level even when the head tilts more than 50 degrees, giving them a wide, near-panoramic field of view that helps them spot predators. Source
Can goats recognize human emotions?
Research has shown goats can distinguish between photographs of happy and angry human facial expressions, suggesting some ability to perceive human emotional states. Source
How many operating facilities are registered here?
Operating facilities registered on this site: Japan 19 Source

Books & gear

Source: ja.wikipedia.org en.wikipedia.org