In a country that’s famous for its pasta, fashion and peculiar traditions, catching goats has now become the newest pastime. Thanks to an Italian mayor who came up with the brilliant idea of offering free goats to anyone who could catch them, the streets are now bustling with wannabe goat-catchers.
Unsurprisingly, the town of Laviano has seen a surge of visitors in recent weeks, all lured by the prospect of taking home a free goat. According to the mayor, the goats have become somewhat of a nuisance in the town, so he thought he’d offer them up as prizes in a kind of town-wide scavenger hunt.
Of course, catching goats is no easy feat. These nimble-footed creatures are experts at evading even the most experienced hunters. But that hasn’t stopped Laviano’s residents from trying. Some have resorted to setting up traps, while others have taken to stalking the goats in the middle of the night.
Despite the mayor’s good intentions, some residents aren’t too happy about the invasion of their quiet town by goat-seeking visitors. “I used to love living here, but now it feels like there’s a circus in town,” said one disgruntled local. “People are running around with nets and ropes trying to catch these goats, it’s ridiculous.”
Meanwhile, animal rights activists are also up in arms about the goat-catching frenzy. “This is an unethical and cruel way to treat animals,” said one animal welfare advocate. “These goats have been living in the town for years, and now they’re being hunted down for sport. It’s just wrong.”
But the mayor seems unfazed by the criticism. He says the contest has been a huge success, with dozens of goats caught and claimed by their lucky captors. He also says that the goats are being properly cared for, and will be given to homes where they’ll be loved and taken care of.
For those who missed out on the goat-catching contest, all is not lost. The mayor has promised to hold another round of the competition soon, and even more goats will be up for grabs. Who knows, maybe one day goat-catching will become an Olympic sport in Italy.
In the meantime, Laviano remains the goat-catching capital of the world, attracting visitors from far and wide who want to try their hand at capturing these elusive animals. Who needs Venice or Rome when you can catch goats in Laviano?
