In Korawan, a remote area of India, there's a bank that allows people to deposit goats as savings, or borrow goats on credit. Local coordinator Subedar Singh explained how it works:
Link via J-Walk Blog | Photo (unrelated) via Flickr user Pete Markham used under Creative Commons license
"Wives of these people help them in crushing stones and breed two-three goats for additional income," Singh said.
"Though the area is best suited for goat breeding, no effort was made to establish it as a full fledged business activity," he said.
"We provide goats to women having interest in taking up breeding as a full-time activity as loan. When a goat gives birth to kids, generally two to three in numbers, one of them is deposited with the bank again," Prema explained.
Goats in the bank are medically examined every week.
"In case a goat dies, then it is either replaced from the market or from the bank depending upon the availability," Prema said.
Link via J-Walk Blog | Photo (unrelated) via Flickr user Pete Markham used under Creative Commons license
And so the bailout dance begins all over again....
Not to mention that in India, they don't have garbage trucks. They have goats.
http://www.leanspawithacaidiet.com
Using it as a gambling chip would defeat the purpose...