A 60-year-old man was taken to a hospital in Australia on Tuesday morning after being attacked by a goat while walking, officials said.
The victim, who was not identified, suffered injuries to his leg after being hit by the animal and falling to the ground. Three teams of paramedics came to the scene at about 9:15 am on Tuesday, local media reported 7News.
The incident occurred near the backpack overpass in Glenbrook inside Lapstone, a city on the east end of the Blue Mountains, a vast 3,861 square mile UNESCO World Heritage site, about a two-hour drive west of Sydney, New South Wales (NWS) The area has gained world heritage status in part thanks to its Biological diversity. Like goats, it is inhabited by a wide variety of native and non-native animals, including dingos, koalas, kangaroos, wombats, bats and a variety of colorful birds.
Images of the incident posted by 7News on YouTube showed the ambulance team trying to place the man on a stretcher, while the goat lurked silently in the background.
In the video, a person can be seen pushing the animal on a nearby lawn while the victim is treated by emergency services. While the paramedics worked, the goat was seen chewing on some of the foliage while watching from behind a roadside barrier.
After the injured man was transferred to an ambulance, the goat was filmed standing near the vehicle, moving out of a cyclist’s path before following someone else down the trail. It is not clear whether the goat was provoked.
The man was taken to Nepeano Hospital, a facility located in Kingswood at the base of the Blue Mountains, and was in a stable condition, 9News reported.
The New South Wales ambulance service confirmed that the crews responded to reports that a man had suffered “injuries to his leg after being attacked by a goat while walk through the woods, “which is a term used to describe hiking on and off the trail.
#Glenbrook – NSW ambulance teams are responding to reports that a man suffered injuries to his leg after being attacked by a goat while walking through the forest. #NSWAmbulance
– NSW Ambulance (@NSWAmbulance) January 25, 2021
NSW Ambulance inspector David Patterson told 9News: “We participated in some jobs that involved animals, but being called in for a goat attack is one of the most bizarre.
“These types of jobs can be quite challenging for paramedics and other emergency services, especially with the possibility of a furious animal lurking in the area.”
The inspector continued: “Paramedics need to be able to reach the patient quickly, but they must also ensure that they are not putting themselves at risk.”
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