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A tribe of goats are at Sharon Hills Park in Menlo Park for a limited time only. The goats help the city trim grass, weeds and poison oak which could be fire hazards. Sharon Hills Park is on a hill and difficult to use landscaping equipment on. The long running program is an eco-friendly alternative to herbicide, which Menlo Park does not use in any parks.
The goats are from Ecosystem Concepts Inc., a goat-based weed-mitigation company based in Dixon, Calif.
The goats are cared for 24/7 by an on-site shepherd and herding dogs. The Almanac previously reported on the program. This year, the goats are grazing a larger area of Sharon Park to graze a wooded area behind homes on Siskiyou Drive.
Community members can watch the goats as long as dogs are leashed and under control.
– Arden Margulis
Mountain lion cubs move to Arizona
Fern and Thistle, two of the mountain lion cubs rescued from Portola Valley have made it to their new home at the Phoenix Zoo in Arizona. Both cubs arrived on Monday, May 26 and are currently acclimating to their new surroundings and zookeepers.
Their brother Spruce was relocated to the Birmingham Zoo in Alabama in April.
“Thanks to the Portola Valley and Oakland Zoo communities, we have received tremendous support that has allowed us to expand awareness about the importance of coexistence with wildlife,” said Nik Dehejia, CEO of Oakland Zoo. “By raising awareness, we hope to reduce the need for future rescues and create a world where people and wildlife thrive together.”
Prior to their journey, the cubs were spayed and neutered in a minimally invasive procedure. Fern and Thistle had also been training with Oakland Zoo staff to comfortably transition into their traveling crates on their departure date.
Upon their arrival, Phoenix Zoo staff described the cubs as curious, very alert and in great shape. “Thistle was a bit more courageous and immediately came out of his crate to eat, while Fern was more cautious and took her time getting to know her new Zoo family,” said the Oakland Zoo press release.
Once the cubs are comfortable, they will be able to access the expansive and brand-new Big Cats of Arizona habitat, which opened in April. Housing the cubs at the Phoenix Zoo provides a naturalistic and enriching environment while also highlighting the local conservation efforts and the vital role native species play in Arizona’s ecosystems.
For now, they will remain in their nighthouse as they adjust to their new home.
To stay up to date on Fern and Thistle, visit phoenixzoo.org and @phoenixzoo on Instagram and Facebook.
– Jennifer Yoshikoshi
Menlo Park sends Citibank’s ‘jarring’ branch remodel back to drawing boardMarch 24, 2026 2:58 pm