Utah Goat Man Puzzles Experts
Authorities in Utah are working to solve the mystery the "goat man" who was spotted by a hiker on the side of a hill as he was trying to get close to wild goats.
The picture of the man in the goat suit was taken by amateur photographer Coty Creighton, who was shocked to see the efforts a person would go to in order to up close and personal with nature.
"He was clumsy, working his way down the cliff trying to catch up with the rest of the herd," Creighton explained. "With the binoculars, I could clearly see it was a guy dressed up in a homemade goat suit," Creighton told KSTU.
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The man in the goat suit was spotted on Ben Lomond peak, about 40 miles north of Salt Lake City and may have noticed that he had drawn an audience.
"He kind of slouched down, like was getting nervous or was feeling really self-conscious," Creighton added. "He actually got off his hands and knees and sat on the hill for several minutes until he thought I was gone."
While the mysterious man in the goat suit is not breaking any laws, experts want to be sure the man is aware of the potential danger he might be in.
"People do some pretty out there things in the name of enjoying wildlife. But I've never had a report like this," Phil Douglass of the Utah Division of Wildlife Resources told the Associated Press.
"There's a saying we have among biologists -- You don't go far enough, you don't get the data. You go too far, you don't go home. The same is true with some wildlife enthusiasts," Douglass added.
One of those possible dangers is from hunters when the goat hunting season opens in September. About 60 permits are issued for the season and one hunter could mistake the man in the suit for a real goat. Another danger, experts agree, are the goats themselves.
"They may get agitated. They're territorial. They are, after all, wild animals … This person puts on a goat suit, he changes the game. But as long as he accepts responsibility, it's not illegal," Douglas said.
