Sierra, a Maremma sheepdog, keeps watch over flock of sheep at Elings Park. (Photo courtesy Elings Park)
Sierra, a Maremma sheepdog, keeps watch over flock of sheep at Elings Park. (Photo courtesy Elings Park)

Two different flocks of fuzzy, four-legged grazers can be seen in Elings Park in coming weeks, with 140 goats grazing in Godric Grove, and 350 sheep in the South Bluffs area.

This is the first year for goats, provided by Ventura Grazing Goats, that arrived April 25 to work in an area adjacent to Godric Grove for about a week.

Hungry goats from Ventura Grazing Goats stand on their hind legs to reach leaves off low tree branches. (Photo courtesy Ventura Grazing Goats )
Goats from Ventura Grazing Goats will spend about a week munching their way through an area near Godric Grove at Elings Park. (Photo courtesy Ventura Grazing Goats )

The efforts are part of a renovation of the park’s wedding and event venue, now open to the public after a three-month project. The flock is a mix of crossbred Boer goats with a few crossbred Dorper sheep.

The flock of Merino sheep is already in residence, currently hanging out near the paraglider parking lot, but they move to fresh fodder every few days. They will stay through May 3, depending on their appetites.

This is the fourth consecutive year that Elings has had sheep from Cuyuma Lamb in Maricopa, California.

“It’s not just a walk in the park for these herbivores,” said Dean Noble, Elings Park’s executive director. “They are improving the eco-systems on our hillsides that have been invaded by non-native plants.

“We’re glad they are hungry, as they reduce fodder for wildfires, plus their hooves break-up hard soil to allow native plants to spread. Their manure is natural fertilizer.”

The public can visit the park during daylight hours to view the flock. The trailhead to the South Bluffs is off Jerry Harwin Parkway behind the administration building parking lot. Godric Grove is accessed via George Bliss Drive with limited parking at the grove.

(Note: Auto access to the park and in-park parking is limited to Big Bounce America patrons only this weekend, April 26-28.)

Safety precautions are in place, including fencing, netting, and regular observations.

The fences have a mild electric shock, which would likely startle an unsuspecting dog. Cuyama Lamb said it is similar to the static shock when putting on a sweater in winter. Members EPDOG, the park’s off-leash program, should take care to keep their dogs under control when near the pens.

Each flock has canine guardians. They may look alike but are two different species. Jackson, a Great Pyrenees, is from Ventura Brush Goats; and Sierra, a Maremma sheepdog (often called the Italian version of Great Pyrenees), is from Cuyama Lamb.

Which is which? Maremmas are noticeably smaller than Great Pyrenees and have triangular V-shaped ears with pointed tips set high on their heads. Great Pyrenees have triangular ears with rounded tips set at eye-level.

“It’s also highly likely that we will have lambs born here in the park again this year,” Noble said. “It’s a wonderful family outing to visit the flock and the dogs and newborns just add to the fun.”