The national animal of Iraq is the goat. This vital member of Iraq’s livestock has been important in this region of the world for about as long as goats have been domesticated. Though they may not have the symbolic charisma of the lion or the tiger, they are nonetheless one of humanity’s oldest animal companions.
Goats in many ways are a species that helped human civilization establish itself, at least in this part of the world.
Without them, society would doubtless have looked very different, and so it is no surprise that Iraq should choose to make them its national animal.
Let’s find out more.
What is the national animal of Iraq?
The national animal of Iraq is the goat, known scientifically as Capra hircus.
This is a domesticated species which is kept as livestock in virtually every corner of the world.
They are closely related to sheep, both being part of the Bovidae family and Caprinae subfamily.
They are used for meat, milk, as well as furs and skins. Their milk is also very popular when turned into cheese.
As of 2011, there were estimated to be close to a billion goats in the world.
There are, as with most domesticated animals, many breeds of goat today.
They can vary in size from well over 300 pounds to as little as 45 pounds for the females of the smaller breeds.
Most goats tend to have two horns, which are more common in the males but are also common in females.
These horns can again be of highly varied shape and size depending on the breed.
Goats have never been successfully polled, meaning bred to naturally lack horns.
They are ruminants, which means that they tend to forage for a wide range of foods.
They have a four chambered stomach, and they will chew their cud, swallow it, digest it, then bring it back up to continue chewing it further.
They have been reputed to eat almost anything, and while they do have a very wide diet consisting of everything from fruit and veg to tree bark, they cannot eat inedible material.
They are naturally very curious animals and are known for being able to climb and balance in precarious positions, with some feral populations even climbing trees to access plant matter of various sorts.
This has made them notorious for escaping their enclosures and so very high fences are often needed to keep in the more agile breeds.
Why is the goat the national animal of Iraq?
The goat is the national animal of Iraq for a few different reasons.
On the one hand, they are national symbols of various Iraqi values like creative energy, revelry, and sure-footedness.
Though many countries may opt for a fearsome predator like the lion, or an imposing spirit of the plains like the elephant, Iraq has instead chosen what might be called a more humble national animal.
But goats have still played an important role in the history of human thought and imagery, especially in this part of the world, and so that influences this choice.
As we will see later, it was also in the Middle East that the wild ancestors of goats seem to have been first domesticated by humans.
So, on that level, the goat is not only an important symbol of Iraq today, but it has been for a great many millennia also an important literal member of its domestic livestock.
Without the goat, Iraq would perhaps be unrecognizable today.
So, ultimately, goats are important in many symbolic ways but they are equally important to the literal, material lives of the people of Iraq and indeed to many communities on Earth.
When, then, were they first domesticated?
When were goats domesticated?
The earliest evidence we have for the domestication of goats is currently about 10,000 years old.
This evidence comes to use from the Fertile Crescent region of Western Asia, which encompasses Iraq, Turkey, Syria, and a few other countries.
So, as best we can tell, the goat was first domesticated in or around modern day Iraq around 10,000 years ago.
This is around the time when humans started turning to something approaching an agricultural lifestyle.
The goats, then, helped us make one of the largest evolutionary steps humans have ever made. Not only this, but they did so very close to Iraq.
How many goats are there in Iraq?
Precise figures of goats in Iraq have not been surveyed for some time, but there are estimated to be between two and five million goats in Iraq today.
This number has been steadily growing over recent years as demand for virtually all goat products has increased over time.
Many parts of the Iraqi economy rely heavily on goats for trade and even subsistence, both in terms of meat and dairy products.
So, again, goats are just as important to the people and economy of Iraq as they have ever been, and so it is no surprise that they have been chosen as the country’s national animal.
So, again, the humble goat might not have the symbolic power of a great predator or soaring eagle, but they are nonetheless equally important in both a literal and emblematic sense to the people of Iraq and people more broadly.
Today, goats continue to be revered in this way in Iraq and maintain their status as vital national symbols.
No doubt they will continue to do so for many decades to come.