Stromboli, an Aeolian island north of Sicily, is known for having one of the most active volcanoes in the world. Moderate explosions occur every 10-20 minutes, throwing lava and ash up into the air.
It’s this activity (and subsequent glow) that has earned it the nickname of the ‘lighthouse of the Mediterranean’.
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But islanders in the village of Ginostra, in the southwest of the island, are facing another problem: goats.
According to some newspaper reports, a growing number of goats are taking over.
Stromboli is just 12.6 square kilometres (5 square miles) in size – the majority of which is made up almost entirely of volcanic mountain.
The islands’ residents are mainly concentrated in Ginostra and the main town, also named Stromboli.
The goats used to live higher up in the mountainous regions feeding on vegetation, but lots of it was destroyed in a fire which broke out in 2022.
In 2024, flooding further damaged vegetation.
The goats have since descended the slopes to find more food – putting them in closer proximity to Stromboli’s residents.
Left unchecked, wild goat populations can quickly increase – as female goats (does) have gestation periods of six months and can have up to three kids per litter.
Some reports estimate that there are hundreds of goats on the island, with others indicating up to 2,000, although numbers haven’t been verified.
Other Stromboli wildlife includes the Sardinian warbler, Cory’s shearwater and Aeolian wall lizard.
Stromboli isn’t the only Aeolian island to face trouble from goats. Nearby Alicudi island was so overrun with the creatures that the local mayor initiated an ‘adopt a goat’ scheme in 2024.
The scheme was carried out after a census estimated their population to be six times the human population – which was 100.
Top image: a goat on Stromboli. Credit: Paolo Gagliardi/Getty Images
