A NEW goat has recently joined the herd at the Malmesbury Animal Sanctuary and has made quite the impression.
Newcomer Jean-Paul Gaultier came across a fallen tree on one of his exploration expeditions at the weekend and the others followed him.
The tree had made the perfect escape hole for the goats to reach the luscious greenery on the other side of the fence.
Project managers Janinka Diverio and Gary Walsh said they think it was a way for Jean-Paul to make friends with the other goats - Sox, Teddy, Vinnie Van Goat and Spud.
They were first alerted about the escapees by Ruth Patterson on Facebook on Saturday, March 11 at around 11am.
Gary said the surrounding community's watchful eye act as a useful Neighbourhood Watch for the animals when the cameras miss any unusual activity.
He said: "One of our emus made national headlines last year for chasing a driver who had fled a crash...I think our animals like the spotlight!"
They assured neighbours that the goats are double-gated in so there is no danger of any of the animals going onto the road.
This is the first time the sanctuary has had an escape since they opened.
Luckily there was a team of volunteers and DofE helpers on standby to escort the goats back home and fix the hole.
It took the team three hours to cut down the tree and fix the fence.
The Malmesbury Animal Sanctuary Community Project, located on Foxley Street, was founded in April 2021 as an animal-led, non-profit private forever home for unwanted and neglected animals.
Gary and Janika said: "The sanctuary was due for closure and we couldn’t let that happen.
"We had seen how much good it did and how much the (then) animals meant to all the volunteers and walkers by and we just knew deep down it had to continue to be a part of this town and community."
They currently have over 40 volunteers to look after emus, alpacas, pygmy goats, sheep and chickens.
Gary said: "It's a weird mix of animals but it works! They all get along great!"
To find out more about the animal sanctuary visit their Facebook page or website.
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