Unlike humans, animals rarely faint due to surprise, fear, or emotional stress, except for a special breed of goats in Tennessee, USA.
When startled, these goats fall over with their legs in the air. After lying motionless on the ground for a few seconds, they recover and quickly get back up. This surprising reaction has made them popular subjects for humorous videos. (Photo: Earthlymission).
Fainting goats are not actually unconscious; they are just frozen in fear. This condition is known as myotonia congenita, which causes their muscles to stiffen for a short period when startled. (Photo: Giphy).
Once the muscle stiffness passes, they quickly stand up. This unique condition has led to many names such as anxious goats, stiff-legged goats, and wooden-legged goats… Their common name is Myotonic goats. (Photo: National Geographic).
Myotonia is a muscle condition unrelated to central nervous system activity. Therefore, these goats do not experience pain, although making them endure stress by scaring them is considered inappropriate. This condition is endemic to goats or livestock, and humans can experience similar symptoms. (Photo: Backyardgoats).
Myotonic goats began appearing in Tennessee in the 1880s when an immigrant farmer named John Tinsley brought four of them. Tinsley worked there for several years. Before moving away, he sold the goats to Dr. H.H. Mayberry. (Photo: Helmcrest).
At least one of the goats carried this genetic trait. No one knows where John Tinsley came from or where he purchased them. According to rumors, he was from Nova Scotia, Canada, but no one knows for sure. The origin of this breed remains a mystery, as this phenomenon does not appear anywhere else in the world. (Photo: Happy Chicken Coop).
The goats gradually became a local source of meat. They are meaty, gentle, and easy to care for. They are also raised as pets or for shows, demonstrating that goats can also be friendly, intelligent, and entertaining. (Photo: Minisilky).
