'Houdini,' Runaway Goat In Australia, Prompts Wild Chase With Officials (VIDEO)

You may be familiar with a wild goose chase, but have you ever heard of a wild goat chase?

Police in Melbourne, Australia learned firsthand this week just how frustrating such a chase can be. After four hours, officials finally captured a goat that was running through traffic near the city's zoo, reports The Sydney Morning Herald.

The goat chase may not have been the officers' proudest moment, as the AP video below shows. A witness tweeted that police were "running around like headless [chickens]," according to the Herald.

Louise Barrett, an animal management officer, told the Associated Press, officials "got very close a couple of times, but unfortunately it's just too agile and a bit too quick."

After police secured the goat, it was taken to a local animal shelter and given the name "Houdini." Officials are currently figuring out what to do with the goat, according to AP.

ABC News reports that there have been other runaway goat sightings in the area in recent weeks, but it is not known if Houdini was the sole fugitive.

Loose Goats in cities aren't necessarily a problem, however. Portland, Oregon has been using goats to clear out weedy patches and thickets filled with invasive species around the city, explains AP.

Click here for images and videos of other notable animal escapes that have made the news in recent years.

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