Melina - Greek Kri-Kri

The Kri-kri is not thought to be indigenous to Crete but was imported during the time of the Minoan civilization. Nevertheless, it is found nowhere else in the World and the form is therefore endemic to Crete.

Handcrafted in Sterling silver 925 at our workshop in Athens.

The Kri-kri is not thought to be indigenous to Crete but was imported during the time of the Minoan civilization. Nevertheless, it is found nowhere else in the World and the form is therefore endemic to Crete. By 1960, the Kri-kri was under threat with numbers below 200. It had been the only meat available to mountain guerillas during the German occupation in World War II. It’s status was one of the reasons for the Samaria Gorge becoming a national park in 1962. There are still only about 2,000 animals on the island and they are considered vulnerable: hunters still seek them for their tender meat, grazing grounds have become scarcer and disease has affected them. Hybridization is also a threat, as their gene pool is mingled with ordinary goats. Hunting them is naturally strictly prohibited. You might say that the Kri-Kri is the mascot of Crete.