A feral goat caused approximately $4,000 in damage to a shopfront in Cobar, western New South Wales. Shane Martin, the owner of Cynend Building and Construction, discovered the damage upon returning from holiday.
Incident Details
CCTV footage showed a goat repeatedly charging the front door for 20 minutes, leading to the glass shattering. Mr. Martin hypothesized that the goat may have reacted to its own reflection. Despite the damage, the goat did not gain entry to the premises.
Expert Analysis
Kristy DiGiacomo, a senior lecturer at the University of Melbourne specializing in animal nutrition and physiology, stated that goats headbutt for various reasons, including dominance, mating competition, and defense. She noted that aggressive behaviors in goats tend to increase when resources such as feed are limited. DiGiacomo suggested the goat likely perceived its reflection as a competing male for resources, prompting the headbutting behavior.
Background
Mr. Martin indicated that goats are not commonly seen in the town center but speculated that recent dry weather might have driven the animal from its usual habitat near a reservoir in search of food and water. Efforts to locate the specific goat responsible for the damage were unsuccessful.