Wild goats take over empty streets of Welsh town as residents stay inside
A herd of wild goats has taken over the deserted streets of a seaside town of Llandudno, Wales, as citizens remain in their homes to help stop the spread of coronavirus. The goats have been spotted in the town center, in front of churches and even nibbling on hedges in front lawns.
The animals are part of a wild herd of more than 100 Kashmiri goats that live around the nearby Great Orme headland, BBC News reported. The headland is a huge 679-foot piece of limestone that extends out from the surrounding sea, according to the Great Orme Country Park's tourism site.
Typically the herd ventures into the Welsh town of Llandudno when inclement weather hits, according to the BBC. But the animals have recently been spotted wandering the town more frequently.
The creatures have been providing plenty of entertainment for people in the town, with videos and photos of the bold goats popping up social media.
"Well we have NO GUESTS, and the GREAT ORME GOATS expect to stay and eat for free!" the Lansdowne House, a local hotel, wrote on Instagram on Monday. "Least they use the parking white lines to respect 2m Social Distancing!"
"I, for one, welcome our new goat overlords," tweeted Andrew Stuart, who works for the Manchester Evening News. Stuart has been posting regular updates about the goats since last week.
"They're scared of me (a human) in this. They don't like people," Stuart tweeted alongside video of the goats running from him. "They usually only come down from the Great Orme when it's windy, and only the back streets at the top of Mostyn Street. Now lockdown means it's empty, they're going further than ever."
I, for one, welcome our new goat overlords pic.twitter.com/Fk5x6XaCLM
— Andrew Stuart (@AndrewStuart) March 30, 2020
Town Councillor Carol Marubbi told BBC News she also believes the herd has come into the town due to the lack of people out and about.
"There are very few visitors on the top [of the Orme], so they have come down in their droves," she said, according to the BBC. "There isn't anyone else around so they probably decided they may as well take over."
She said the town is "very proud" of the goats and that their antics have been "free entertainment" to citizens as they remain inside.
And they mean business this time #goats #llandudno pic.twitter.com/8PORNufdp2
— Andrew Stuart (@AndrewStuart) March 31, 2020
The United Kingdom's Prime Minister Boris Johnson, who is the first world leader to test positive for coronavirus, ordered a nationwide lockdown last week. All businesses, other than "essential" ones, were instructed to close and citizens are now only permitted to leave their residences to get essential supplies and exercise once per day.
Authorities have permission to fine people if they violate the rules and the power to split up gatherings over two people. The measures came following weeks of criticism that Johnson's government did not act quickly enough to stop the spread of the coronavirus.
There are more than 25,400 confirmed cases of coronavirus in the United Kingdom and over 1,700 deaths, according to Johns Hopkins University. More than 170 people have recovered.