Police officers in Wiltshire were forced to deploy riot shields and a lasso to safely capture a runaway goat that went on a rampage through a village near Chippenham.
A Festive Fiasco in Upper Seagry
The incident unfolded in the village of Upper Seagry, where the adventurous ruminant was spotted trotting freely. According to an eyewitness who spoke to the BBC, the goat's antics included chasing a woman around the village and attempting to eat the oranges from a festive Christmas wreath.
Wiltshire Police responded to the unusual call on Thursday morning. Body-worn camera footage from the scene captured the challenge officers faced. "Apparently it's not very nice," one officer can be heard remarking, as the goat even tried to snack on safety equipment from the back of their patrol car.
The Capture Operation
To safely control the animal, PC Ferris and PC Miller from Chippenham Response utilised riot shields for protection. "We've got it on a tow line, we've got some [riot] shields because he's trying to butt my head," explained an officer. The team successfully lassoed the goat, though the animal briefly managed to slip free before being swiftly re-captured.
A Wiltshire Police spokesperson praised the officers' actions, stating they "swiftly responded, controlled the situation and returned the goat to his owner."
Not the First Goat Rescue
This is not the first time emergency services have been called to deal with a caprine crisis. In a separate incident in October in Cumbria, a rescue operation was launched at Longtown Bridge in Carlisle after someone entered the water trying to save a stranded goat from a bridge arch.
Three fire crews and police attended. While the person self-extricated, fire officers from Longtown fire station were subsequently sent to retrieve the animal to "prevent a repeat incident."
