Wild goats take over Welsh town as coronavirus lockdown leaves streets empty
31 March 2020, 12:38
A herd of wild goats have been defying government orders on socially distancing to invade a town in north Wales.
Llandudno usually has enough hustle and bustle to keep the animals in their usual grazing grounds in the surrounding countryside.
But as residents keep to their homes to help halt the spread of coronavirus, the cheeky creatures have been wandering further into the town than ever before.
Andrew Stuart has seemingly become the town's new goat correspondent and has been posting regular updates on their whereabouts.
He added he for one welcomes his new "goat overlords".
On Friday, he noticed the gang hanging around the town and realised they were not doing very well at adhering to the social distancing measures as they crowded around some of the presumably delicious hedges.
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Goats take over Welsh town during coronavirus lockdown
Andrew, who works for the Manchester Evening News said he noticed the goats having "a midnight feast" on hedges.
He tweeted: "They were probably going to run riot on the town, what with nobody being about due to the lockdown.
"I also wasn't sure if they were keeping the required two metres apart."
He said North Wales Police officers attended the scene in a patrol car, adding: "I'm sorry if the goats got arrested. But they were being very naughty."
Officers tried to coral the animals back to the countryside, but their efforts had little effect on the goat gang's attitude, and they simply walked back into town the following day to wreak yet more havoc.
They have also taken to sleeping the night in comfort in the town's churchyard.
This morning they seem to have grown even bolder and have been filmed standing on the roads, completely blocking them off for the minimal traffic as others gather to see them for themselves.
Andrew said that although the Great Orme goats usually only leave their territory on the coastal headland to take refuge in the outskirts of the village in windy weather, "they're now going further than ever".
The Great Orme headland is home to a herd of around 200 wild goats, which are thought to be descended from a pair of Indian goats presented by the Shah of Persia to Queen Victoria in 1837.
