Visitors returning to Longleat can meet the new kids on the block – tiny African pygmy goats Piglet and Peewee.
The twin females, born at the end of March, have made themselves at home in the Wiltshire attraction’s Family Farmyard.
The tiny two-week-old kids share their new home with mum Pixie and dad Prince, and donkeys, an emu, wallabies, chickens, rabbits, and turkeys. Despite their small stature, the goats are extremely agile and love to jump onto tree trunks and rocks.
“Piglet is named because she is quite greedy and likes to hog mum for attention. She also has a white splodge on her forehead,” said keeper Jack Crossman.
“Peewee was smaller at birth and needed some help to get her feeding from mum. They love the sunshine and are happily bouncing around the enclosure, chasing the chickens, learning to climb and to headbutt! Both are proving quite a handful and keep getting out of the farmyard area and running around the main field.”
As their name suggests, African pygmy goats are small, only with maximum height of abount 50cms when fully grown. Peewee and Piglet weighed about 1.5kg at birth but both are feeding well from mum Pixie and growing fast.
Longleat, near Warminster, is a member of the British and Irish Association of zoos and Aquariums (BIAZA) which represents its members and promotes the values of good zoos and aquariums.
Details: 07715 798 960 or email steve.mytton@longleat.co.uk