Loose goats nabbed: See how KC animal control officers wrangled riverfront fugitives

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An ambitious operation to round up the remaining fugitive goats roaming Kansas City’s riverfront was successful Wednesday morning, with all seven animals now in custody at KC Pet Project’s Swope Park campus.

Animal services officers gathered around dawn along the Riverfront Heritage Trail to physically herd the goats into an enclosed area where they could then be coaxed into a waiting trailer.

The plan “went really well,” said Ryan Johnson, the chief animal services officer for KC Pet Project , which runs Kansas City’s animal control department.

The operation brought animal service officers onto the type of difficult terrain that goats excel at navigating, including the rocky slopes on the banks of the Missouri River and dirt paths along the nearby train tracks. KC Pet Project also brought in goat farmer Margaret Chamas to help them round up the elusive animals.

Finally, officers contained the goats inside makeshift barriers made from portable fences, vehicles and wooden pallets. It took until 10 a.m., the sun high in the sky, to get all seven goats on board.

The seven goats will now be held at KC Pet Project’s main campus, specifically in the outdoor livestock area nicknamed “the farm,” for five days. If no owner comes forward to claim them, they will be adopted out to new homes.

The fugitive goats first appeared on the riverfront in early August, near the end of a grazing program meant to clear brush sustainably. Once the goats hired for grazing were rounded up, 10 additional animals remained — with little indication of where they came from.

KC Pet Project captured three of these goats in recent weeks, but no owner came forward to claim them. They have since been adopted out to new homes. Johnson thinks it’s unlikely that an owner will claim the remaining seven — but we’ll have to wait for five more days to know for sure.

Do you have more questions about livestock, wildlife or pets in Kansas City? Ask the Service Journalism team at kcq@kcstar.com.