Some time ago we learnt that a certain Mr Tombe was forced - perhaps not too unwillingly, who knows - to marry a goat by Sudanese elders after being discovered being far, far too friendly with it. It is with deep sadness that the Poorhouse now has to report that said goat, a black and white honey named Rose, has died. Cause of death: choking on a plastic bag.

Those "Litter Kills" campaigns we used to see around were clearly devastatingly accurate.

We further learn that the family was blessed by Rose giving birth to a cute little kid. Mr Rhodes, editor of the Juba Post which first ran this most famous of stories, was keen to ensure that in interests of accurate reporting the message got out that the kid was "not a human one" - a slight disappointment many would probably agree. Mr Tombe is however the current guardian of it in the mother's tragic absence.

The BBC article reporting these events spent much of its time going on about quite how popular the story is. The BBC version on the web has received multiple-millions of visits making it "historically one of the biggest-hitting stories the BBC News website has published". This fact is no doubt of great comfort to BBC Chairman Michael Grade and his world-renowned news teams operating in hundreds of countries, 24 hours a day, covering every story of worth and importance under a < ahref="http://www.bbc.co.uk/bbctrust/assets/files/pdf/regulatory_framework/charter_agreement/royalchartersealed_sept06.txt">charter to sustain citizenship and civil society and promote education and learning.

Chimera: a monster goatOnce more the great unwashed web-public show their priorities - along with the million-plus non-BBC webpages - including this one, so the Poorhouse is in no position to judge - feeling the need to cover the story. Says Rhodes: "We have triggered a monster". Most likely one along the lines of a classic Chimera with a goat's head one imagines.

Rhodes was also apparently a bit fearful of potential Sudanese government anger at having their country largely known to the rest of the world for goat-marrying. Luckily it didn't bother them in the end. This would not be unprecedented however, most famously certain Kazakhstanis got a little hot under the collar regarding Borat's impression of a Kazakh. "If I see him, I'll hit him in the face," said Tuyakbai, the leader of the Kazakh opposition, annoyed that their country was being portrayed as a little uncivilised

(Well deserved credit and endless gratitude for the update as ever must go to The Poorhouse's official Goat correspondent Kat)