Dear Harry,
Well its Sunday evening in Sydney and while I wait for the fair Alex to return I though I's share a link my friend Jon has send me from the UK.
While Jon and I shared a house in the Isle of Dogs, we both saw an extrodinary news story about a breed goat with a particularlly unusual tallent. Blessed with a number of different names the Myotonic Goat is also known as the Wooden Leg goat, stiff leg or Tennessee fainting goat.
But why? Well when the goats get startled or overexcited that suffer a bout of short lived paralysis (called Myotonia congenita) which causes their legs to lock and they fall flat on their backs. Now when I originally heard this report I managed to convince myself that this was originally to do with deterring predators, who prefer not to eat an animal so poorly that the mere threat of a chase brings on what appears to a grand-mal, but there's is no mention of this is this instance, so I can only presume I've made that part up.
Anyway for you delight, if not somewhat sadistic pleasure here, here is a video clip of a American breeder scaring her flock, literally, rigid. The scene where she fells about 6, simply by opening her umbrella is well worth a couple of plays.
Regards,
Charlie
