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Goats and stones, Cape Verde
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| [Normas para las notas] Notas del fotógrafo |
As I wrote in Cabrinha d'Soncente, the goats have roamed Cape Verde since the first settlers brought them in the 15th century. Some historians say the goats were responsible for desertification of the islands, because these steadfast animals, in free ranging, without natural enemies, would have destroyed the natural vegetation. By the other hand, some scholars defend that the undemanding goats provided the poor Cape-Verdeans with a rare source of animal protein, and also fibers (hair) and hides (skin) for several uses. In any case, the goats success is due to their easy rearing and ability to eat almost anything.
The Cape-Verdeans use to say that goats eat even stones. Of course they don't, but it's a reminder of the difficult conditions that affect both animals and people in these islands. In the Ovídio Martins' poem "Flagelados do Vento-Leste"*, there is the philosophical verse "As cabras ensinaram-nos a comer pedras para não perecermos" ("The goats taught us to eat stones, so that we didn't die").
In this photo, in São Vicente Island, some white, black and brown pixels are goats; the rest are stones. See them better in the zoomed workshop. The goatherd is a couple of brown and red pixels below the houses.
Os cabo-verdianos costumam dizer que as cabras até comem pedras. No poema de Ovídio Martins Flagelados do Vento-Leste ele escreve: As cabras ensinaram-nos a comer pedras para não perecermos. Texto completo na nota de
* - see it in Hard stone, low pay. |
ang25, zmey, stego, lucasgalodoido ha puntuado esta nota como útil.
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- stego
![Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Star Workshop Editor/Gold Note Writer [C: 3883 W: 641 N: 5513]](http://i1.trekearth.com/misc/g-g-g.gif)
(17458) - [2008-05-28 15:24]
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Olá Francisco,
Uma paisagem impressionante, de tão árida. Gosto muito do enquadramento e das cores. O facto das cabras mal se verem acaba por torná-la interessante, acaba por ser uma espécie de charada encontrar os bichos entre todas aquelas pedras. Suponho que o pontinho vermelho mais acima, à esquerda é uma pessoa (pastor?).
Parece-me que a nitidez poderia ser melhor, mas nada de grave.
Um abraço, José.
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- zmey
(6098)
- [2008-05-29 6:03]
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ola francisco
not a pretty picture, but quite informative... i have heard the same story about goats (that they desertify any area they go over in large numbers)... supposedly, sheep are much 'easier' on the vegetation. regardless, whether the goats are the cause or the solution to this aridness, your picture illustrates the current situation well...
regards,
kristaps
Oi amigo ,
Só com olhos de águia eu encontrava ai as cabras , bem áridas esta paisagem com pouca vegetação ou nenhuma tem de comer mesmo pedras :), parabéns!!
Um abraço Gonçalo
Olá Francisco,
curiosa mesmo essa imagem, ao ver a imagem fiquei a imaginar o que essas cabras iriam comer nesse solo seco, mas parece que elas ja comeram tudo! Só sobrou pedras mesmo. Boa foto.
Parabéns e Abraço!
