Kerala’s small but hardy Attappadi black goat is being pushed to the fringes, thanks to climate change, human interventions and the larger Malabar variety that yields more meat and milk.
The hardy and sprightly Attappadi black goat has been the GOAT – the greatest of all things.
Ask anyone from the Irular tribe living in the rolling, lush green hills of Attappadi taluk in Kerala’s Palakkad district.
Locally called the karutha aadu (black goat), it is a small-sized native goat with a distinctive jet black fur. It has been a favourite among the tribes because of its ability to thrive in the scorching summer heat and humidity of southern India. They are also less susceptible to diseases and require less fodder. People also believe that its milk contains medicinal properties.
The karutha aadu is of high value for the tribe-folks, who are known to make sacrifices of the black goats to appease spirits or gods.
But its existence is under threat.
This free-ranging, cloven-hoofed species is prized for its tender and tasty meat, although it yields much less than the bigger breeds.
It was quite common until a few years ago to come across flocks of black goat in Agali village of Attappadi, the one and only tribal taluk in Kerala. The karutha aadu and the larger Malabar goats have been so abundant in Agali that it has earned the tag Goat Village of Kerala – an honour the people living here wear with pride.
But the black goat is now visible only on the fringes of the Attappadi hills.
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The meatier breeds are pushing this species to the brink. People’s first choice has become the bigger animals that produce more meat and milk, and thereby fetch more money. A fiercely competitive return-on-investment prejudice is acting against the black goat.
“The black goat is my favourite. But, sorry, I don’t have a black one,” said P Lakshmi, an Irular tribal woman at the picturesque Narasimukku hamlet of Agali.
Goat breeding and rearing are done mostly by women of the tribe. It’s their domain and the karutha aadu has been a mainstay of their income for ages. But modernity has touched this nook as well and most women find better-paying jobs elsewhere.
“I used to rear goats before. I still do, but mostly three days a week. I do other jobs, else I won’t be able to look after my family. Goat rearing has become unviable and unsustainable,” Lakshmi said.
Attappadi taluk comprises three panchayats of Agali, Sholayar and Puthur, together having a population of 32,000 people. People here consider the karutha aadu as a pride and cultural icon of the region, which augurs well for the goat.
“More than half of my goat herd was black earlier. The count has come down now,” said P Pappa of Narasimukku, who has three black ones among his dozen goats.
Pappa explained why people shifted from a karutha addu-only herd to other market-friendly goats. “The Malabar goat gives three to four kids and about 2 litres of milk every day. The Attappadi black goat gives birth to a single child after each gestation. The black goat also gives 200ml of milk, hardly enough for its own baby. Still, we love the black goats.”
There was a time when only black goats were found in Attappadi. The Malabar goats reached the isolated tribal hamlets of Attappadi following the migration of other communities to the hills.
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The Malabar goats are now found throughout Kerala and preferred because of their size. But rearing them is not as easy as the karutha aadu because the Malabar variety eats more fodder and often faints in the summer heat.
According to ICAR- NBAGR Network Project Report 2003, there were around 10,000 black goats. But the 2017 livestock census showed an alarming fall in numbers, with a karutha aadu headcount of around 3,000.
“There have been strict regulations on the import of goat species. But there hasn’t been any kind of restrictions against movement of different species within the country,” said veterinarian G Thyagaraj. As a result, crossbreeding happened and livestock purity was lost.
The Kerala animal welfare department founded a farm at Kottathara in Attappadi in 1991 to conserve the black goat species endemic to the region. The farm has around 300 goats now.
“This is a rare species. It must be protected. The goat farm is doing just that because the black goat numbers are dwindling drastically in the villages,” said Justin Aundi, another veterinarian.
Lately the government-owned farm has been expanding its scope and extent to rear at least 1,000 black goats.
A few years ago there was enough grass in our village. There is hardly an open land parcel these days
“Steps to preserve the black goat are highly welcome, but we can’t protect them unless the entry of other goat species to Attappadi is banned,” said N Sudhodhanan, former deputy director of animal husbandry.
Apart from the proliferation of Malabar goats, the effects of climate change and human interventions have left tribal goat farmers with fewer pastureland. Besides, the small goats often fall prey to wild predators.
All these factors are forcing goat farmers like K Valli of Narasimukku to look for other income sources.
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“A few years ago there was enough grass in our village. There is hardly an open land parcel these days. Plots are separated by barbed wire fences. To keep wild animals away, people have put electric fences in some places. Where would my goats graze now?” she asked.
The lead image at the top shows black goat in the field (Photo by ThanhNgocTran, Getty Images, Canva)
K Rajendran is a journalist based in Thiruvananthapuram.
