Herd of 'Sightseeing' Goats Totally Stops Traffic in San Francisco
This is something you don't see every day!
A dog walker in San Francisco noticed something very out of the ordinary last Thursday. A herd of goats escaped their enclosure and were roaming around the streets, blocking traffic in a busy part of the city. Now, that isn't something you see every day!
A herd of about 35 goats from the nonprofit City Grazing was clearing poison oak and other invasive plants in a park when a hole was cut into their enclosure, according to an ABC 7 News report. Take a look at the full story which was posted to the TikTok account @abc7newsbayarea. Trust us, you'll learn something new about goats!
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What?! First of all, goats escaping their enclosure can't be that common, we don't think. But secondly, in the city? That's unheard of! But apparently, it's not that uncommon. An article from TIME shares that American cities are turning to goats to save money and improve streets and parks as they eat up weeds. That's SO cool!
"Clearing poison oak? As in the goats eating it?" asked @kcraiggg. Our thoughts exactly! But it's true. Goats can actually clear poison oak. Many farmers throughout the world "employ" goats to eat poison ivy and clear it away from their farms. It's not exactly known why goats can eat these plants safely, but there are a few theories. There are certain enzymes in their gut to prevent side effects, they've evolved to withstand poisonous plants, or rumen in goats' gut bacteria can break it down.
Genevive Church, the executive director of City Grazing, told ABC 7 News that an employee was able to lure the goats back to safety with a bale of hay and the help of the city's Parks and Rec Department and San Francisco Police Department.
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