Two Juvenile Goats Board Portland Bus, Drawing 5.4 Million Views

Q: How did two escaped pygmy goats manage to navigate a busy Portland street and board a city bus completely unharmed?

They appear to have done it by simple proximity, timing and luck, not by any special feat beyond normal goat curiosity. The two 7-month-old pygmy goats escaped when their backyard gate was apparently left unsecured, then wandered less than two blocks from their home to the bus stop at Southeast 162nd Avenue and Division Street. TriMet and local reports indicate the goats crossed the street and reached the stop during the morning commute, when buses were already slowing and stopping and people were present. Security video shows them slipping onto the FX2-Division bus as the doors were closing, suggesting they likely followed the movement of passengers rather than deliberately “navigating” transit. Their ride lasted only seconds before the operator noticed them, reopened the doors and they were shooed off before the bus moved. Why they were unharmed comes down largely to the incident ending quickly and in a controlled setting. The bus was stopped, the driver reacted immediately, passengers did not panic, and the goats were soon off the vehicle and later returned home by a neighbor. Police also checked the area after 911 calls about loose goats. Their owner, Lrae Anderson, said the goats had gotten out before and are smart enough to bolt for an opening, especially if drawn by something “green.” After the incident, he added a lock, chain and stronger fencing to prevent another escape.

3 articles · Updated · The New York Times · Aug 14

Security footage showed two juvenile goats slipping onto a westbound TriMet FX2-Division bus in Portland on Tuesday after escaping a nearby enclosure, briefly delaying the route and prompting 911 calls.
The goats—Billy the Kid and Billy the Goat—live less than two blocks from the stop; owner Lrae Anderson said his children sometimes leave the enclosure gate open.
A neighbor returned the animals home the same day, and Anderson said he has since added a lock and improved the fencing to prevent another escape.
TriMet posted the video to Instagram on Wednesday, where it drew more than 5.4 million views and revived comparisons to Portland's 2002 coyote-on-a-MAX episode.