Great goat giveaway: Italian island inundated with adoption offers

Mayor of Alicudi appealed for homes for 600 feral goats which will be removed from tiny volcanic island

When the mayor of a remote Italian island grappling with an overpopulation of feral goats offered to give the animals away, he anticipated a smattering of interest from farmers on neighbouring isles who were perhaps keen to boost their production of ricotta cheese.

But as news of his adopt a goat" initiative spread beyond Alicudi, he received a flurry of offers from around the world - not just from Europe, but also the US, and even from an animal-lover in Nigeria.