Meet New Naval Academy Mascot Bill the Goat 37

ANNAPOLIS, MD — The tradition of a white Angora goat serving as mascot at the United States Naval Academy was bolstered recently with the addition Bill the Goat 37 to the herd. He was added to the roster to keep company with Bill 36, the twin brother for the late Bill 35, who died earlier this year.

A spirited goat was credited with helping beat archrival Army in 1893, the fourth Army-Navy football matchup, and the role of goat as mascot was solidified.

"The Naval Academy and goat caretakers determined that it would be best for Bill 36 to have a shipmate next to him on the sidelines to keep morale high," the academy said in a news release.

Bill XXXV, a white purebred Angora goat, was euthanized Aug. 16 at the New Bolton Center in Pennsylvania because of an illness, the Capital-Gazette reports. Doctors determined there was no chance for recovery for the 2-year-old goat.

Bill had ongoing health issues since he arrived at the academy last year, including idiopathic edema, which was caused by chronic kidney weakness, the newspaper says.

The academy still has retired mascots Bill 33 and Bill 34, who live in the Annapolis area.

Bill 37 was flown from Texas to Reagan National Airport and then driven to the goat mascot residence, which is a location the academy doesn't disclose. The goat caretakers have reported that Bill 37 is acclimating well to Navy life as a “mascot in training” and is already full of spunk, energy and vitriol toward Army.

Bill 34 and Bill 33 are still alive and well and enjoying their retirement. It is anticipated that Bill 37 will wait until 2017 to make his debut on the sidelines.

Mascot Fun Facts:

• Naval Academy goat caretaker’s names and the location where the goats are kept are not identified in order to maintain the safety and security of the live mascots.
• Bill 35 and his brother, 36, were donated to the Naval Academy in August 2015.
• All of the Navy goats are Angora goats.
• The current (36, 37) and retired (33, 34) mascots reside at the same location.

Goat Mascot History

Long before midshipmen played football at old Fort Severn, goats were an integral part of Navy life, the academy’s website says. More than 200 years ago, livestock was kept aboard some seagoing naval vessels to provide sailors with food, milk, eggs and, in some cases, pets.

The first service match of the 20th featured a goat borrowed from the USS New York decked out in a fine blanket with a gold "NAVY" emblazoned on both sides. That game in Philadelphia ended with an 11-7 victory for Annapolis, and the goat was led on a victory lap through the train and did not leave the midshipmen until they reached Baltimore.

It was then that the goat was dubbed "Bill." The name was borrowed from a pet goat kept by Commander Colby M. Chester, Commandant of Midshipmen from 1891-1894 and the first president of the Naval Academy Athletic Association, the school says.

Over the years, some mascots of the Academy have met with unusual ends.

In 1968 Bill XVI, a gift from the Air Force Academy, died of accidental poisoning from weed killer sprayed too close to his pen. His successor, Bill XVII, met the same fate three years later.

The mascot appears at home football games and the Army-Navy game. It is sometimes targeted for kidnapping in the days leading up to the rivalry.

»Photo of newest Bill the Goat from United States Naval Academy's website;photo of previous goat at game from academy's Facebook page