The trying times brought on by COVID-19 has some people searching for ways to lift their spirits, and BX resident Gabriel Newman has found one way to help out.
Baby goats.
Newman said the reality of his situation is his friends on Facebook prefer when he shares photographs of his animals rather than say or do anything else. So, he stepped it up a notch and started a on March 24.
Starring a kooky cast of baby goats and a 鈥渟toic suffering鈥� alpaca named Jack, Newman has managed to spread some joy during these uncertain times.
鈥淭here is such a desperate need for some reminders of purities in this world and that life will go on and it鈥檚 still gorgeous and beautiful and fun,鈥� Newman said.
Newman said self-isolating has allowed him some extra time to catch some of his animal鈥檚 antics on video.
Plus, he said, the day he started to self-isolate lined up with the birth of the kids.
鈥淚 do have to say though,鈥� he said. 鈥淰ideoing goats is a lot harder than you think.鈥�
For every 20-seconds of film posted to YouTube, Newman said he鈥檚 typically shot around 15 minutes.
鈥淭he response has been great,鈥� he said. 鈥淚 created it for my friends and I have a small, very loyal fan base that seemed to need their daily goat video.鈥�
鈥淵ou just can鈥檛 be angry at baby goats,鈥� Newman said, getting ahead of the trolls. 鈥淯nless you own them. If you own them, they鈥檙e into things they shouldn鈥檛 be.鈥�
The videos and his cast of baby goats are nothing but joy, he said.
鈥淲e live in a ridiculous world and it鈥檚 important to remember the beauty and take a breath once and a while,鈥� Newman said.
He鈥檚 even posted mindfulness exercises with Jack to remind his viewers and himself to relax here and there.
He said his baby goats have only a few months left before they鈥檒l start to 鈥渕ellow out.鈥� Then, they will become teenagers.
鈥淎nd as teenagers, they鈥檇 be too cool for YouTube.鈥�
Newman said he hopes to continue posting to his YouTube channel, but he said it may be an annual thing as goats grow quickly.
鈥淚t鈥檚 the babies everyone wants to see,鈥� he said. 鈥淕oats are charming, but it鈥檚 also like humans, babies are interesting and charming and other people鈥檚 kids, from a distance, are funny and charming.鈥�
鈥淭hen they become adults 鈥� you don鈥檛 want to spend that much time with them.鈥�
His alpaca, a rescue, will likely maintain his starring role.
鈥淥ur alpaca was a partner to a horse and the owners sold the horse,鈥� Newman said recalling his alpaca鈥檚 origin story. 鈥淎lpacas attach themselves to whatever family they can have.鈥�
Newman said he had sheep and worried about coyotes, he needed a guardian, so when a 鈥渇ree alpaca鈥� ad appeared, he jumped at it.
鈥淭here鈥檚 no such thing as a free alpaca,鈥� he laughed.
Jack, rocking a big underbite, would consistently escape Newman鈥檚 yard and wind up in the neighbour鈥檚 yard hanging out with the horses. But he soon became a 鈥渕other hen鈥� for Newman鈥檚 sheep and goats.
鈥淗e has his issues,鈥� Newman said. 鈥淏ut he鈥檚 incredibly charming to stare at.鈥�
鈥淎lpacas have been on the planet for 40 million years,鈥� Newman said, at least the Camelidae family alpacas originated from.
鈥淭heir body design is鈥� It just has to have been an early invention 鈥� they haven鈥檛 been upgraded into anything noble, faster or really good at anything,鈥� he laughed.
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