Escaped Goat Makes Home On Concrete Railway Bank

Story By: Lee BullenSub-EditorLee Bullen,  Agency: Asia Wire Report

An escaped goat nicknamed ‘Ponyo’ by locals has found a new home on a concrete slope next to a railway line in Japan.

The kid lives on the steep reinforced slope in the city of Sakura in the eastern Japanese prefecture of Chiba.

According to news site The Mainichi, the young goat strayed onto the retaining wall above the city’s Keisei Main Line and has decided to live there for the past two months.

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The female kid, aged around six months, escaped from its 63-year-old owner in May after he only just bought it.

The goat now lives on a slope 20 metres (65 feet) from the trains thundering by, and its position has made it difficult for concerned residents to approach it.

However, there is plenty of grass on the slope, providing food for the young animal.

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Train passengers and onlookers on a nearby road often see the kid frolicking alone on the slope.

One resident in her 70s said: “I photograph it every time I see it. It’s getting bigger and bigger every day.”

Locals have dubbed the goat ‘Ponyo’ after the Japanese animated film of the same name.

Real Press

However, some residents have expressed concern that the young animal is exposed to the hot sun all day or fear that it could end up being hit by a train.

There have also been concerns about a traffic accident potentially being caused by motorists parking next to the rail tracks or rubber-necking to look at it.

Meanwhile, its owner said that he is hatching a plan to capture the goat, adding: “I’m sorry for causing trouble for everyone in the railway company. I want to rescue it quickly.”

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