A herd of wild goats “procreating like there is no tomorrow” could face castration after terrorising an Irish town for weeks.
Councillors said the animals roaming the outskirts of Ennis, County Clare, were a “huge frustration” and risked causing car crashes.
The goats have even been “getting up on top of cars and going around businesses at night time”, Clare mayor Tom McNamara told a council meeting.
Two of the goats were recently electrocuted after wandering into an electricity sub-station.
Authorities said they would install signs warning drivers about the hazardous herd, which is regularly seen wandering across busy roads in the west Ireland town.
But the growing numbers of feral goats, whose numbers have reached at least 22, has forced the council to look for a longer term solution. They are looking to relocate the goats, which include at least six kids, but there have also been calls for castration.
“The disturbance that these goats are causing in the locality is totally unacceptable,” said Mr McNamara.
Ms Howard said the goats were “procreating like there is no tomorrow” but that townspeople “don’t want to see them put down”. She suggested castrating the male goats should be considered.
“We need to address where their natural home is,” she added. “People don’t want them culled but they want the herd reduced if that can happen.”
Councillor Pat Daly said two motorists had told him they nearly crashed into goats. The animals were also “jumping up on cars and going into gardens”, he added.
The herd “is a serious road safety issue and needs to be dealt with was a matter of urgency”, said councillor Johnny Flynn.
He said the goats must be relocated “in the interest of animal welfare, public safety, protection of property, and to avoid a road accident that would lead to animal or human injury or death”.
Eamon O’Dea, senior executive engineer, at Clare County Council, said authority had asked the regional road office for the wild animal signs to be erected on busy local route.
He added the council would contact animal sanctuaries and welfare groups to discuss the capture and removal of the wild goats from the area.
Mr O’Dea said that the council wanted to deal with the issue in a humane way.
Ms Howard said the council’s approach to the goats was “moving in the right direction”.
