Lost goat jumps into police car in west Japan, is reunited with owner next day
The goat that was being looked after by Mie Prefectural Police’s Nabari Police Station is seen in Nabari, Mie Prefecture, on March 8, 2023.
Law enforcers in this western Japan city safely reunited a lost goat with his owner on March 8, after the animal readily jumped into a police vehicle and quickly become the station’s favorite.
Mie Prefectural Police’s Nabari Police Station received a report of a goat in a dental clinic’s parking lot, and station personnel located the animal at around 9:50 p.m. on March 7. According to the station, as soon as the police car’s door was opened, the goat jumped in without prompting.
The black-coated, short-horned goat, about the size of a small dog, was wearing a green collar with a bell, and was comfortable around people, so the police believed he was someone’s pet.
Officers named the animal “Mei,” after the Japanese onomatopoeia for goat’s cries. They gave him water and fawned over him while reaching out to the city hall, public health center and other places to locate the owner.
An inquiry was received from a goat-owner on the morning of March 8, and the animal was confirmed to be theirs. According to the owner, Mei weighs around 12 kilograms, and is a type of goat that doesn’t get very big.
Officers and others at the station said, “It was a brief time, but he soothed our nerves while we were busy. We’re happy to have quickly reunited him with his owner.”
(Japanese original by Naoto Yamanaka, Nabari Bureau)
