On This Italian Island, Locals Fear Goats More Than Volcanic Eruptions

The Italian island lives under the shadow of an active volcano, but it’s the wild goats that have residents fearing for their safety and homes.

A Centuries-Old Community Brought to Its Knees

For generations, the residents of Stromboli have lived with the rumble of one of Europe’s most active volcanoes. Eruptions and ash clouds are nothing new to this small Aeolian island north of Sicily.

But today, it’s not lava that worries the locals. It’s the goats.

Gianluca Giuffre, a local trader and lifelong resident of Stromboli, is among many who say the situation has become unbearable.

“My family has been here since the 17th century, but if these goats continue to multiply, I will abandon Stromboli,” he told The Times.

Where Did the Goats Come From?

The current goat invasion began with just a few animals that escaped in the 1990s.

Left to roam free on the island’s slopes, they multiplied rapidly, forming aggressive herds that now wreak havoc across villages like Ginostra, home to just 40 permanent residents.

“They’re In the Cemetery”

“They’re in the cemetery, even in the church,” said Giuffre. “They even damaged the lights on the helipad.”

His elderly father, 78, is now too frightened to leave the house.

The goats, often in herds of up to 50, have damaged vital infrastructure, including stone embankments that protect against landslides. These embankments help secure escape routes in case of volcanic eruptions.

Their destruction poses a real danger during heavy rains and seismic activity.

Goats Storm Gardens, Homes and People

According to local news reports, the animals have become aggressive.

Resident Federico Ascheri recounted a recent encounter: “I was in my garden when a large herd of goats came rushing in looking for something to eat. A very large goat frowned at me when I tried to scare them away, and they all attacked me, throwing me into the air.”

Complains From Tourists

His partner, Samira Salhi, added that the goats have even turned on each other, saying, “They became so aggressive that they started fighting each other.”

Even tourists have started to complain, prompting local authorities to finally acknowledge the crisis.

“It’s Me Alone Against Herds of 50 Goats”

Daniela Simoncini, 78, owns a holiday home on the island. “It’s me alone against herds of 50 goats led by large specimens with 40-centimeter horns,” she said.

Simoncini fears her 200-year-old olive trees won’t survive, as the goats climb them to eat the leaves.

Disrupting Infrastructure

The animals also trample rooftops, breaking rainwater collection systems and leaving waste behind.

“The goats climb onto the roof and make a mess, which pollutes the collected water,” she said.

More disturbingly, Simoncini has discovered several decomposing goat carcasses near her home, seven in total. The smell is unbearable, and the deaths have raised concerns about possible disease spreading through the island’s animal population.

Failed Relocations

Last year, an attempt to capture and relocate 800 goats from the nearby island of Alicudi failed.

The goats, it turns out, were simply too fast and agile for the team assigned to catch them.

Hunting Plans

Now, the authorities in Alicudi intend to pay hunters to shoot hundreds of goats this fall, after tourist season ends.

If successful, Stromboli could be next.

“We aim to eradicate them,” said Giovanni Dell’Acqua, a rural development official in Sicily.

Despite likely protests from animal rights groups, Dell’Acqua remains firm. “You can find goat meat in any butcher’s in Italy. There’s no scandal.”

More Damage Than the Volcano

Stromboli’s volcano last erupted violently in 2019, sending lava and hot rocks down the slopes and killing a tourist.

But locals now say the goats have done more damage in the past three years than the volcano has in centuries.

“They ate the caper bushes that my ancestors planted,” Giuffre lamented.