Jungleland USA, August 1963
Good old Jungleland USA (in the friendly town of Thousand Oaks, CA) is just a memory now, but I am happy to have visited this humble animal park when I was a tadpole.
Sure, you can fill your park with bloodthirsty lions and tigers, or playful, intelligent elephants, and even a giraffe or two. But what do people really want? Goats. Not even cyber-goat - - just plain old goats. Awwww, I have to admit that they are kind of cute (in spite of their freaky eyes).
Of course those goats aren't friendly for no reason; they are hoping that you have dropped a nickel in one of the nearby goat-chow dispensers. There is nothing more delicious than goat chow! Except maybe stewed goat.
There's one of the dispensers now. One handful for the goats, one for me. Dad needs a smoke after all of that Fun With Ungulates. "Dad, can we keep him? I'll call him "Goaty", and I'll brush him and feed him every day".
7 comments:
I don't know about goat chow, but I have eaten goat once. It wasn't too bad, but I haven't had it since.
K. Martinez, I don't think I've ever had goat, but I when I was in Egypt (when I was a student) I ate something that I was told was camel. I think the waiter was trying to be funny, but you never know.
Purina used to make a "Goat Chow", part of their full line of animal feeds "Purina ____ Chow". I remember neighbors having it in bags for their animals. Also available back in the day, Calf Chow, Pig Chow, Monkey Chow.
Goats have weird eyes, smell bad, climb on everything, eat anything, give nasty tasting milk, and taste pretty good grilled, leaving a soft, flexible leather behind.
Over all, I'm not a fan. They are socially engaging and kids love them (no pun intended), so that's a plus.
JG
I've had goat in both the Middle East and in the Caribbean, and it's not too bad. A little greasier and chewier than I am used to with a strong flavor, but not bad at all.
I'll have to try goat chow on my next trip to the zoo.
That fence is how they taught the goats to do card tricks. (Your card was ALWAYS the five of diamonds.)
JG, I have seen some of those other Purina chow products, and always kind of wanted a bag of monkey chow just because. I know, I'm weird. Goats are used around here to remove foliage from hillsides that might pose a fire hazard, and they do a great job!
Chuck, I am guessing that goat is not the scariest thing you've tried in your travels! Monkey chow is good for mixing with yogurt chips and nuts to make granola.
Melissa, that fence is an example of "dazzle camouflage"… it is actually a WW1 battleship.
Major, many years ago, I saw the Monkey Chow on a behind the scenes tour of the San Diego Zoo, so I know it existed. but that was many moons ago.
Google searches now imply that it is no longer made. Not sure why. Lamb, Sheep and Deer appear still available, but no more Mink chow. A sack of monkey would be a real souvenir. Seems to have been replaced with Primate Diet, which just doesn't have the same ring.
Yes, goats are also used up here to graze fire hazard hillsides. They're good at trapeze acts like that. They are gregarious little guys, but I still avoid them.
JG
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