We could all use a feel good story right now. Yesterday we welcomed a very special lady to the rescue, meet Buttermilk! Her story and her journey is nothing short of amazing. A truly wonderful group of compassionate and dedicated volunteers, known as "Team Buttermilk" not only saved her life but made sure she made her way somewhere where she had goat friends, safety and freedom.
Her story is best told by those involved in her rescue:
“Buttermilk: a.k.a. The Cave Goat
While driving the Highway 95 corridor between Lewiston and Lapwai, ID during the past few years, you may have noticed a lone, pale, four-legged creature high among the cliffs above the Spaulding Bridge that crosses the Clearwater River. If so, then you have met, from afar, a feral goat that had escaped its home (on private land) and taken up residence in the cliffs on Nez Perce Tribal Land. To the locals who often kept an eye out for her this animal had become a minor celebrity known as either “the cave goat” or more affectionately, “Buttermilk.”
Unfortunately, besides being a very lonely existence for her, Buttermilk’s presence there threatened the already diminished local bighorn sheep population. She could potentially transmit deadly upper respiratory bacterium that are naturally carried by domestic sheep and goats, and that cause pneumonia in bighorn sheep, leading to massive, large-scale die-offs. The introduction of domestic sheep and goats as well as unregulated hunting by European settlers were the main culprits in the tremendous historic declines in bighorn sheep. Though hunting is now heavily regulated, the threat from the presence of domestic sheep and goats is still a very real concern today.
Nez Perce Tribal Wildlife Director, Neil Thagard, explained that, “as feral livestock can be a threat to native plants and wildlife species, it was essential to remove the cave goat.” In the past Thagard had worked with Buttermilk’s previous owner in attempting to have him retrieve his goat and return her home, however, after numerous unsuccessful attempts to catch her, she was abandoned to her solitary hillside life and the responsibility for her fell to the Tribe’s Wildlife Division.
It was necessary, as part of his commitment to the Tribe’s natural resources, for Thagard to get Buttermilk off the hillside. Although as a last resort she would have had to be lethally removed, Thagard wanted to avoid this alternative if at all possible. He kept a close eye on her waiting for her to begin using a small shelf in the hillside, the safest portion of the landscape (for his and the goats safety), then planned to establish a feeding station with some oats to lure her in and get her used to being near people again. This method would be most tempting and effective when there wasn’t a lot of other vegetation for her to eat; so in January 2020 he began hauling buckets of oats up the hillside every few days.
After several weeks as Buttermilk became habituated to the food and the presence of Thagard, a humane trap was set – a simple but effective “snare” using a five-gallon bucket of oats and a rope; and a lot of patience. Once Buttermilk was caught, she began pulling herself toward the cliffs edge with Thagard in tow, but he managed to get her under control before either of them were in any danger from the steep terrain. It was then just a matter of a short walk down the hill to start her new life.
Nez Perce Wildlife biologist, Dr. Kerey Barnowe-Meyer had a truck and trailer waiting at the bottom of the hill to take Buttermilk to a local horse boarding facility, a temporary home that was arranged for her by Nez Perce Wildlife biologist, Dr. Angela Sondenaa. Removing Buttermilk safely and making sure she would be cared for in preparation for adoption was definitely a team effort!
Too often, the story of an abandoned, feral animal such as Buttermilk does not have a happy ending, but with all the time and effort the Wildlife crew had put into her capture and care, it was important to them to find her a safe and loving home. Through a network of friends and connections, Thagard and his wife Catherine contacted the Puget Sound Goat Rescue who agreed to take Buttermilk and ensure she is loved and cared for. In the early days of March, a small army of volunteers who came to be known as “Team Buttermilk” worked to arrange transport for Buttermilk to her new home on the West coast, far from any danger she could pose to Idaho’s bighorn sheep. There she will live with other goats and receive the attention and companionship that she deserves.”
Buttermilk arrived after a long drive yesterday and is settling in well with the herd at one our wonderful foster homes. Katie & Dave are so invested in the goats in their care and we knew their farm was the perfect landing spot for Buttermilk. We are so happy to give this girl her next chapter, welcome home Buttermilk!