Local News

Goats Brought In To Restore Hillside In Polish Hill

July 8, 2014 / 5:55 PM EDT / CBS Pittsburgh

POLISH HILL (KDKA) – It's pretty typical to see goats on a farm, but not necessarily in the middle of the city.

"I'm beginning to think the city is becoming the new country," Jane Tuschak said jokingly.

A total of 30 goats from a farm in Saxonburg were brought in to help restore a hillside next to West Penn Park in Polish Hill today.

Their job was to spend the day snacking on invasive plants.

"They came off the truck, ready to eat. They started eating all of the invasive vines immediately. So, we were very pleased to see that. They seem to be happy and we're happy," Danielle Crumrine with Tree Pittsburgh said.

The animals created quite a buzz in the neighborhood.

Tuschak stopped so her grandson could see all the action.

"I think it's fun. It's interesting and I think it's educational for the kids to see and for me too because I've never seen anything like it," she said.

"There is a gawk factor and anytime you set them up, especially in a suburban or urban area, we get a lot of people slowing down and stopping their cars and asking questions," Brian Knox of Eco-Goats said.

This is the first time Tree Pittsburgh has done something like this, but if all goes well, goats may be used to tackle weeds in locations all over the city.

"The hope is that we're going to learn how to do this locally and that other environmental groups like Tree Pittsburgh will take this on as a method for removing invasive species. So, we hope to see more goats in Pittsburgh," Crumrine said.

Goats are already used in other cities across the country and setting up for the project is fairly simple.

An electric fence is put in place and the rest is left to the hopefully hungry goats.