Goats are highly destructive in their eating habits and in some places have an nasty reputation. According to Karl Vogt, the goat does more harm in the forests than any other animal. "The old seats of civilization, namely, the countries round the Mediterranean, owe the destruction of their forests, the nakedness of their mountains, and the inevitable consequence of that condition, the dryness of the climate, to the devastation of these animals.''It is inadvisable, therefore, to permit goats to run at large where any valuable green things are growing. They will eat even the bark of trees, as well as long-tended hedges and gardens.
With all its faults, the goat has some commercial importance. Goat's milk is highly valued in many places and is often made into cheese. The skin is used in various ways and Eastern primitive peoples still use it to make their tents and some of their clothing.
