SFist pointed out a strange video shot by someone in Bay Bridge-approach traffic on Folsom Street Wednesday afternoon and posted to Twitter of a goat running loose on the sidewalk. And it turns out there was a whole group of goats on the loose, and SF Animal Care & Control has no leads on where they came from.
It's not often that goats are seen running around the city of San Francisco, which is why we noted the oddity yesterday. And subsequently, a Redditor posted a video of a whole bunch of goats — at least four or five — running also in the vicinity of the Bay Bridge Wednesday afternoon. They all got loose from somewhere — possibly a transport vehicle in traffic? — but so far there's no confirmation of where.
Currently stuck in traffic and trying to get on the Bay Bridge. But in other news, I saw this goat running down Folsom Street. I hope he finds his way home 🥺 pic.twitter.com/6ZBfDfIWho
— Kayla E. Galloway (@kaylaegalloway) March 8, 2023
SFGate got ahold of Genevieve Church, executive director of City Grazing, an organization that brings herds of goats to properties in need of mowing in San Francisco, and she says the goats weren't any of theirs. She calls the case "a weird one," adding that "there just aren't that many goat grazing companies that will work in San Francisco."
Animal Care & Control confirms they got a call about a goat, but none of their people ever found any of the animals.
Church's conclusion: the goats were likely meat animals, and they escaped from a truck transporting them to be processed as meat. She added that they appeared to be a breed of goat that is often bred for meat.
If you live in the South Beach area or anywhere in SoMa and happen to see an errant goat in the next day or so, give Animal Care & Control a call 415-554-9400.
Update: For what it's worth, SFist commenter BayAreaLocal says, "I was there when this happened. [The goats] were clearing the brush from behind the Rincon hill dog park and were being managed by Caltrans." That doesn't fully explain the situation, or whether they were all recaptured by their handlers. But there you go.
Previously: Day Around the Bay: Goat Spotted Running Loose In SoMa