Diablo The ‘Goatalope’ Is Gillette’s Unlikely Local Legend And Social Media Star

With orange eyes, weathered horns, a jet-black coat, and a surly expression that belies a certain gentleness, Diablo, a French fry-loving nanny goat, roams a lonely pasture adjacent to the Wyodak Power Plant about 12 miles east of Gillette.

Diablo’s penchant for mingling with antelope within the 40-acre parcel near American Road and Wyoming Highway 51 and her fondness for photo ops has earned her rockstar status for the more than 3,800 people who follow her every move on the Wyodak Goatalope fan page and a separate group page on Facebook.

“Sometimes you just want a cool little hero,” said Jeanette Graves, an animal control supervisor for the Campbell County Sheriff’s Office. 

Graves, who has worked for the county for more than 30 years, initially told Cowboy State Daily that Diablo was a male. However, she reversed course and said a closer examination revealed Diablo is, in fact, female.

That revelation surprised many of Diablo’s fans, who said during interviews before the gender reveal that they were certain Diablo was a billy goat.

Street Smarts

Graves possibly knows Diablo better than anyone else, driving past her stomping grounds twice a day in her marked vehicle.

She doesn’t worry if Diablo isn’t spotted in the pasture that is about a quarter-mile wide and 4 miles long, knows she will be fed by her fans and has no problem surviving harsh winters. 

“Diablo is the most well-fed creature on the planet,” Graves said. “In the winter, Diablo finds a spot by the railroad tracks and gets warm. Diablo is street smart and stays near Wyodak.”

Although Diablo, estimated to be more than 10 years old, appears intimidating with her jet-black coat and orange eyes, she also has a soft side and loves to chill on alfalfa or straw brought to her.

“She would probably lie down and let you rub her belly,” said Graves, who finds it amusing that some of her fans believe she needs to be fed or have a better home away from the pasture.

“Goats are the weirdest animals on earth, and can eat anything and stay pretty healthy,” she said.

There is no denying that Diablo has become a social media phenomenon, and her star-struck fans rejoice whenever they get a glimpse of her. 

“It’s like seeing Mount Rushmore for the first time,” Graves said.  

Building A Following

Arika Von Kannon, who is a Gillette real estate agent, never envisioned Diablo would become so popular when she established the goat's page three years ago as a fun way to memorialize her.

“I realized there were so many stories out there from people who knew Diablo in their own cute way,” Von Kannon said.

Facebook has provided a platform for fans to make up their own unique nicknames for Diablo, post pictures, share stories, and speculate about her origins. It’s where people decided she’s a “goatalope."

“There are so many narratives and questions,” Von Kannon said. 

Sherryl Hardy, who owns John Henry's Country Kennel and lives adjacent to the pasture, maintains she has answers to some of the most pressing Diablo mysteries. 

Hardy said Diablo was bought with 10 or so feral goats by her late brother, Doug Hardy.

Diablo wandered away and then turned up in the pasture with about 50 head of antelope.

A couple of years later, bluetongue disease killed off the herd, but Diablo remained in the pasture near Donkey Creek, said Hardy, adding the goat is popular because it symbolizes fierce independence.

“Diablo is a free spirit just like the people of Campbell County,” Hardy said, adding the goat can be cantankerous and gives good headbutts.  

Kim Buhite-Howery, another online fan, first met Diablo after she moved from Oklahoma back to Gillette in 2024. She saw Diablo in a field and realized how close she was to the goat's favorite hangout.

Buhite-Howery gives Diablo goat feed and an occasional animal cracker, but the goat seems to prefer fast food and frozen corn. 

Buhite-Howery stopped recently to visit Diablo, who wasn’t interested in the feed or cookies, but made a beeline for her French fries. 

Danielle Bell of Gillette recalled Diablo used to roam all the way to Rozet, prompting her family to cruise the highway looking for her. 

“We would laugh the whole way,” she said.

Diablo’s growing status as a local legend and landmark has prompted literary tributes, including the poem “The Little Black Goat” by Wayne Holyoak of Rozet and an illustration in the children’s book “My Wyoming Dad” by author and illustrator David Santoyo of Gillette.

“My Wyoming Dad” explains why a father works so hard to provide for his family, as told through the eyes of a child, includes a drawing of Diablo outside the Wyodak Power Plant.

“I often hear from the locals how meaningful it is that goatalope was included (in the book),” Santoyo said. “It really resonates with them. During story times, people are always curious to learn more.”

Graves noted Diablo has lived a full life and it will be a sad day for her legion of fans who will be left with a trove of fond memories and great stories when she meets her demise. 

“It will be a bummer someday, whenever that happens,” she said.

Scott Schwebke can be reached at scott@cowboystatedaily.com.