Beware of Goats!

[curiouswombat]

There is a road sign, on the main coast road between Ramsey and Douglas, that says 'Beware of Goats'.

Many people wonder why it is there - but if you happen to be in the right place at the right time, you realise there is a very good reason for it.



There is a small herd of goats who live wild in that area - and they can, occasionally, be seen eating at the side of the road. But this week I spotted them somewhere slightly different - they were pretty well camouflaged, at least the grey ones were, but a movement caught my eye and, having time, I parked the car and walked back.

It is a very good thing that the Manx Electric Railway isn't running at the moment, thanks to a landslide - as I don't think I've ever notices a sign on the lines to tell the drivers to beware of goats!

Comments

[petzipellepingo.livejournal.com]

Grumpy looking goats.

[curiouswombat.livejournal.com]

A good reason to beware of them, I guess!

[eglantine-br.livejournal.com]

I have kept goats. Clearing brush in areas like that is one of the things that goats do best! They are not bothered by thorns and they eat most leaves. I am sure wild goats would do very well. They look really healthy don't they?

They are handsome goats.

[curiouswombat.livejournal.com]

They do look really healthy, don't they? There were about 8 or 9 in the group cropping alongside the tram lines - and I think there are actually more altogether, they seem to thrive on the headland area where they live.

[jerusha]

They're very handsome goats.

[curiouswombat.livejournal.com]

I think they are, too. And pretty hardy.

[diebirchen.livejournal.com]

Is there bridge with a resident troll underneath?

[curiouswombat.livejournal.com]

There really should be, shouldn't there? But sadly, not.

[the-winterwitch.livejournal.com]

Oh, they're adorable! I hope they take good care when the railway runs again and get off the tracks when it's approaching!

[curiouswombat.livejournal.com]

Aren't they handsome? I'm sure they must be used to the trams - which move very slowly - so I guess they'll really be safe enough when they start running again.

[cairistiona7.livejournal.com]

Aren't they sweet! Are they approachable at all, or truly wild? (It looks as though they let you get fairly close, or were you using a telephoto lens?)

Our road department really should put "Watch For All Manner of Creatures" on our road. I've come upon deer, turkey, armadillos, goats, cows, chickens, geese and the occasional coyote, not to mention various and assorted neighborhood dogs. Most rural drivers know to watch out for "critters", but we're just close enough to a major city that we get Sunday drivers that barrel along without a thought toward the damage some of the wildlife around here can do to their cars!

[curiouswombat.livejournal.com]

I was on the other side of a wall - about 10 yards from them. The wall is about four feet high on my side - but was about 7 or 8 feet high on theirs. They were sort of keeping an eye on me, though!

We meet sheep, ducks and geese quite often, and the goats, of course.

[the-winterwitch.livejournal.com]

Our road department really should put "Watch For All Manner of Creatures" on our road.
We have a sign (http://www.paz-online.de/var/storage/images/paz/peiner-land/lokalnachrichten/stadt-peine/achtung-wildwechsel!/3629212-1-ger-DE/Achtung-Wildwechsel!_ArtikelQuer.jpg) for "wildlife" in general, but extra ones where cows, riders or toads may cross. That for toads is to protect them, not the driver, though. But your list reminds me of a lovely trip on a holiday in Cornwall, where we encountered quite the succession of signs on the same road. It started with a rider and then the animals cecreased in size, to cow, pig, geese, and ducks. We were joking about the next animal we would be seeing on a sign when we rounded a bend, saw a sign with an airplane and had one _very_ low over our heads at the same moment! We nearly ran into the wall which was enclosing the small country lane and later found we had just passed a local sport airfield in the middel of nowhere. *g*

[cairistiona7.livejournal.com]

We were joking about the next animal we would be seeing on a sign when we rounded a bend, saw a sign with an airplane and had one _very_ low over our heads at the same moment!

LOL... that reminds me of a little town in Kansas that has an historic hotel that caters to small plane enthusiasts. There's an airstrip, but you actually can taxi to the hotel in your plane:

http://beaumonthotelks.com/wp-content/gallery/about/beaumont-hotel-fly-in.jpg

There's appropriate warning signs on Main Street. :D

[clodia-metelli.livejournal.com]

*opens mouth* *closes mouth* *makes high squeaky SO CUTE!! noises*

[curiouswombat.livejournal.com]

They really are rather cute goats.

[estelcontar1.livejournal.com]

Very cute goats!

[curiouswombat.livejournal.com]

Aren't they cute? I like that last one in particular.

[estelcontar1.livejournal.com]

They so are. My favourite is the black faced and black legged one in the third picture.

[suzll.livejournal.com]

GOATS!! They're beautiful!

[curiouswombat.livejournal.com]

They really are, aren't they?

[dalmeny]

Handsome animals

[curiouswombat.livejournal.com]

You kind of get the feeling they know they are, too!

[mummy-owl.livejournal.com]

They're a very handsome bunch of goats! Do goats come in 'bunches'?

Are they domestic goats who've escaped at some time in the past?

I still wouldn't want to get too close to them!

[curiouswombat.livejournal.com]

Do goats come in 'bunches'?
Herds, I think :)

I think they probably were domesticated at some point - although it might have been the ancestors of these guys, rather than these ones, who made the break for freedom, as there have been goats living wild in that area for quite a while.

[ayinhara.livejournal.com]

I assume that these are feral goats.

[curiouswombat.livejournal.com]

Yes - I think these ones are probably about third generation - possibly further from the originals. There have been goats roaming in that area for quite a while and I'm not too sure whether anyone knows quite where they came from originally.

[pondhopper.livejournal.com]

They look too healthy to be wild! Not scruffy at all. I suspect they're the ancestors of formerly domestic goats because that sure isn't a wild breed.
Those horns would keep me at a safe distance from them though.
:)

[curiouswombat.livejournal.com]

I'm pretty sure they are descended from domesticated goats, but they have lived independently in that are for quite a long time - hence the warning road signs.

And yes - I don't think they'd let anyone too close!

[shirebound]

Oh my, that would be such a rare and amazing sight here!

[curiouswombat.livejournal.com]

It's pretty unusual to catch sight of these guys - I go that way maybe once a week or so, but have only spotted them three times in the past year!

[(Anonymous)]

They are good looking beasts. Are they pygmy goats, they have that sort of square shape to them that pygmy goats have?

About the only strange critter we see on our roads are coyote's and the occasional Possum or Skunk who lost in a disagreement with a car, they are kind of flat!

Looks like you had a nice day for your photos.

Huggs,
Lynda

[curiouswombat.livejournal.com]

They do look like the pygmy ones, but they are full sized.

It was trying to be a nice day - but it couldn't quite cope with a whole dry day - it began to rain as I got back to the car!

[bojojoti.livejournal.com]

I recall you have wallabies and chickens in addition to the goats roaming freely. Our predators would eliminate those kinds of defenseless creatures. We even had a mountain lion sighted near our town recently.

[curiouswombat.livejournal.com]

A mountain lion sounds very exotic to me. We don't have any natural predators. The largest native animal is the European polecat. So most of the feral animals are safe from everything but cars - and I wouldn't fancy hitting one of the goats if I could avoid it!

[zanthinegirl.livejournal.com]

Hee! They do have that "just try it, buddy!" look goats always seem to have, don't they? Very cool, though I think I'll stay away from the horns!

[curiouswombat.livejournal.com]

They do have that look, don't they? And yes, the horns do back it up!

[chaotic-binky.livejournal.com]

The goat in the last photo is posing like mad lol

[curiouswombat.livejournal.com]

He is a natural, isn't he?

(Or possibly she!)

[engarian.livejournal.com]

Goats are pretty canny. I suspect if a train were coming down the tracks, the goats would scatter.

They have lovely long hair. I think it might spin up really nicely. Do they have a soft undercoat like so many long-haired animals do?

- Erulisse (one L)

[curiouswombat.livejournal.com]

I suspect if a train were coming down the tracks, the goats would scatter.

I'm sure you are right - specially as the MER trams only travel at about 20mph!

They do have rather lovely long hair, don't they? But as to undercoat, I have to admit to having no idea - I've never got that close to them.

[sparrow2000.livejournal.com]

Hmm, we went for an Indian last night - there was goat curry on the menu. I thought of you! *g*

[curiouswombat.livejournal.com]

Hee! Actually, I'm told that the venison casserole I posted the recipe for works really well with goat... here goaty, goaty, goaty!

[sparrow2000.livejournal.com]

Giggling here *g*

[dougalsservant.livejournal.com]

I really like the last ones expression.
If you do end up going over the bridge you must look out for our goats, and the feral goat sign, near Sheil Bridge. That's about 16 miles the other side of Kyle just as you come to Loch Duich.

[curiouswombat.livejournal.com]

I'm really not sure if we will boat or bridge, yet. But if we bridge I will ask the co-driver to look out for the goats!

[raingirl26.livejournal.com]

lots of comments! people must like goats... i love how idfferent each of their coats are. for a second i thought you were going to say to watch out for them because of their horns!! they certainly do camouflage well (their coats, not their horns). i love imaging you stopping to get these photos - that's my favorite thing to do, to pause from my assigned task and photograph.

[curiouswombat.livejournal.com]

They are beautifully camouflaged there. And yes, I love it if I see something interesting and get a chance to stop and take a picture.