How Daddy Goat Treats His Disabled Kid Catches Everyone Off-Guard: 'Rare'

An adorable video of a doting dad goat caring for his disabled daughter and her mother has racked up over 2.3 million views on Instagram.

The footage titled, "Wholesome things out goat dad does for his family," shows a montage of clips under the username @thegentlebarn. The 12-year-old Merlin is seen being a hand-on dad to his daughter, Lolli, who is about 6, and an affectionate partner to her mom, Minnie Mae.

The family of three resides at one of The Gentle Barn foundation's sanctuaries in Tennessee. Founder Ellie Laks told Newsweek about the heartwarming clip that shows Merlin "letting his daughter win when they play," and waking her up in the morning.

Laks said: "The three of them are inseparable, and Merlin is a doting father who loves his daughter just like any dad."

Research has revealed that mother goats do not forget their children, and it looks like fathers don't either. Laks said that Lolli was born in winter and lost her back limbs to frostbite. She dragged her legs behind for eight months before the sanctuary found out about her.

"We were able to negotiate the release of Lolli and her mom, bring them to UT Knoxville for surgery, and get her the prosthetics and wheelchair that she needs to have a good life at The Gentle Barn," Laks said. After the rescue, Melin was discovered and joined his family.

Laks added: "We had no idea if Lolli and Minnie Mae would remember Merlin, but within moments of his arrival, it was clear this family recognized each other, and their reunion was meant to be."

In 2012, scientists from Queen Mary, University of London, in England, found that mother goats remember the calls of their kids for up to 11 to 17 months after separation. The study, published in the Proceedings of the Royal Society B, involved recording the calls of kid goats at 5 weeks old and playing them back to the mothers 12 to 18 months later.

The mothers showed strong recognition of their offspring's calls, indicating a long-term memory. This finding highlights the potential for long-term social bonds in animals and suggests that mother goats retain long-term recognition of their offspring's calls, which can help maintain social bonds and prevent inbreeding.

"Merlin, Lolli, and Minnie Mae show us that animals love their children, just like we do," Laks said. "He is not only playful and protective over Lolli, but he is extra gentle and kind to her, knowing that she is in a wheelchair."

The footage also shows him resting his head on Minnie Mae's back, whom he is still "madly in love" with, according to the text.

An extract from the caption reads: "It's sadly rare to see animal dads who get to stay with their children, so we're always so happy to be able to keep families together in sanctuary whenever possible." So far, the video has more than 168,000 views and plenty of comments.

One user posted: "Realizing a goat does more than some human beings on this planet."

Another wrote: "He really is the GOAT," referring to 'greatest of all time.'

The sanctuary have since shared a part two on Instagram (@thegentlebarn) to show more footage of caring Merlin. He can be seen letting the girls eat first, finding ways to accommodate Lolli, and checking on them when he hears an unfamiliar noise.

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