Bushwalk Australia

Last Saturday 2 off us witnessed some very odd behaviour as we walked down the river from O'Briens to Cowans track.

A largish goat appeared on the opposite bank to be in major distress. It was laying on it's side and struggling to get up. Several times over a minute or so it made attempts to get up and each time fell back on its face or side. Finally(or so we thought) it seemed to give up and just lay still on it's side and as we couldn't detect any chest movement from across the river it appeared to be dead.

Not so it seems. After a 1-2 minute "rest" it simply stood up, albeit slowly, and looked at us for about 10 seconds and simply walked slowly up hill for about 50 metres and ignored us.

Do goats swim and was it some bizzare way of drying itself, do they have seizures? We have no idea and welcome any theories to this. Even conspiracy theorists who may suggest a gunman on the grassy knoll with a silencer.
Any ideas gratefully accepted.

Greg R

Too bad it didn't die, they're a major problem in Lerderderg.

taken a fall earlier and got concussed? or ate something that didnt agree with it..

I've hunted goats for years now on and off. Sometimes bowhunting so your close to them for long periods of time. get plenty of chances to watch them naturally and not in distress.

Never have I seen goats do what you discribed. Sure they do some humerous / stupid things but nothing like this.
Had to have been something wrong with it I would guess.

I don't know about falling. They are very sure footed, I've seen them walk half up leaning trees to eat the leaves. Man some of the huge drops I have seen big billy goats pounce down would lead one to expect broken bones, But they just continue to eat........

they usually fall when the ground gives way under them....

They saw you coming and decided to leave something you'll remember.

There is a species of "fainting goats" bred in the US. Never seen it in ferals though.

Drunk, or hungover (based on how I behave after a big night).

Might have been suffering the effects of taking a 1080 fox bait.

LandSailor wrote:Might have been suffering the effects of taking a 1080 fox bait.

True. If there were baits in the area there should have been wild dog / fox 1080 baiting signage up with some dates. Maybe the OP recalls seeing them

Goats are wonderful animals, if the country was built on a goats back would have made Much more sense.
Sounds strange Greg- it wasn't having fits of laughter
They are generally fairly robust (compared to sheep).. I seem to recall some sort of grass toxicity, maybe that led to fitting?
Anyhow, maybe just playing.. they take dust baths, scratch in unusual ways, frolic, kick up their heels, play like dogs.. act the goat
I haven't hunted many but grew up around them.

A goat playing possum ?

forest wrote:

LandSailor wrote:Might have been suffering the effects of taking a 1080 fox bait.

True. If there were baits in the area there should have been wild dog / fox 1080 baiting signage up with some dates. Maybe the OP recalls seeing them

I take the dog out there every couple of months and for memory there's no current bait signage up. That's not to say that they haven't baited in the last month (haven't been in for a while).

Love The Derg, will keep an eye out for seizure goats...

wasn't fainting goat and got startled by you? lol

forest wrote:

LandSailor wrote:Might have been suffering the effects of taking a 1080 fox bait.

True. If there were baits in the area there should have been wild dog / fox 1080 baiting signage up with some dates. Maybe the OP recalls seeing them

I always thought that 1080 was incorporated it into a meat product. If that is right I doubt the goat would be poisoned as they are herbivores.

MickyB wrote:

forest wrote:

LandSailor wrote:Might have been suffering the effects of taking a 1080 fox bait.

True. If there were baits in the area there should have been wild dog / fox 1080 baiting signage up with some dates. Maybe the OP recalls seeing them

I always thought that 1080 was incorporated it into a meat product. If that is right I doubt the goat would be poisoned as they are herbivores.

Not always, otherwise it would be pretty useless for possums etc. Carrots are the usual bait of choice.

Didn't see any signage about baits.

Greg