Select a region
A pair of Golden Guernsey goats have been entered into a fundraising walking challenge at Whipsnade Zoo, which will see them compete against pygmy goats at London Zoo.
From today, Doris and Betty will be tracked on their daily walks to see how many kilometres they can 'trot' up.
The aim is to walk 'Around the World in 30 Days', or as far as they can get during the month of June.
Our #AroundTheWorld challenge launches tomorrow! https://t.co/3LvlRQaGM1 Thank you to everyone who has already signed up, including some four-legged participants - @zsllondonzoo's pygmy goats will take on @ZSLWhipsnadeZoo's golden Guernsey goats to compete for first place. pic.twitter.com/jPnoBV1XPT
— ZSL (@OfficialZSL) May 31, 2023
The Golden Guernsey pair are joined in the challenge by a ten-strong herd of pygmy goats who live at London Zoo.
Zookeeper Alex Pinnell said there may only be two of them but the Whipsnade girls do have an advantage.
“There may be less of them, but Doris and Betty have got the advantage of longer legs and a faster speed of 8km per hour – so they’re definitely contenders. My main concern in that with over 600 acres of the Dunstable Downs to explore, they’ve got lots of opportunity to be distracted by their favourite snack - grass.”
Together, Alex, Doris, and Betty are aiming to raise £300 to support ZSL’s work protecting for endangered wildlife across the world. They can be sponsored HERE.
Pictured: ZSL is an international conservation charity "driven by science, working to restore wildlife in the UK and around the world by protecting critical species, restoring ecosystems, helping people and wildlife live together and inspiring support for nature".
The Golden Guernseys will be walked around Whipsnade Zoo daily all month, meaning they'll pass ring-tailed lemurs, red pandas, Asian short-clawed otters, giraffes and flamingos who also live at the zoo.
These walks will be tracked with their mileage added to the running total.
With an average speed of 8km an hour, Ms Pinnell said they'll be aiming to cover 2km a day with time factored in for feeding and being distracted by new patches of grass to eat.
Pictured: London Zoo's pygmy goats are also competing in the walking challenge.
Although Doris and Betty live at Whipsnade Zoo, their breed - the Golden Guernsey - is believed to be indigenous to the island.
The animal is a golden colour as the name suggests, with 'medium gold' being the most common. They can vary from a very pale shade to a deep bronze colour.
Few herds remain in the island but the ones who do include the Golden Guernsey Goat Farm. It is open to the public most days with goats cheese and other goods available to buy.
Golden Guernsey Goats up for auction
Goat herd lost to sudden illness
Guernsey Goat Trail strikes Gold
Comments
Comments on this story express the views of the commentator only, not Bailiwick Publishing. We are unable to guarantee the accuracy of any of those comments.