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After the weather becomes consistently warm and the vet says the goats are good to go, Goat Island's popular residents will be back on the lake

Coming Home

Goat Island's beloved residents to return this month

STORY BY BETSY ILER & PHOTO BY KENNETH BOONE

Goat Island’s summer residents are expected to return mid-month, said Stacie Baker, who, along with her family, owns and cares for the goats on a 75-acre island just north of Martin Dam. The island has become a popular stop among Lake Martin residents and visitors, who love to feed, pet and take photos with the goats. “Mid-April, they will go back. Once the weather gets warm all the time,” Baker explained. “Once we get them G to the island, we have to check on them every day. It’s a 15-minute drive for us on the water, and that can be a cold ride if it’s not warm.” In preparation for the move, Baker, her husband, Ricky, and children will check the island and its goat shelter structure to make sure everything is in good repair. “We will make sure there are no dead or falling trees and make sure the structures are good. And we’ll have Dr. Passler look at them and make sure they are good to go and get their vaccinations,” she said. Dr. Thomas Passler, an associate professor in the Department of Clinical Sciences at the Veterinary School at Auburn University, has helped to care for the goats for more than 10 years. “We have one older female, Sunshine, that is the only one left of the original seven on the island,” Baker said. “She is still in very good health, but last year, the island was so busy, and she was up on the island laying down a lot. She may not be going back.” Last year, 15 goats spent the summer on the island, but Baker said only 10 or 12 might go back this summer. “They are all so friendly, but a couple of them have gotten so big. We may not take those back,” she said. “But the goats do better at the island, so we’ll try to get them back as quickly as we can.” An account for the support of the island’s goats has been set up at First Community Bank in Eclectic. More information about the goats is available on the Facebook page.