UI goat watch: Still on the lam

• The goat escaped last Friday from University of Iowa's Research Park.
• Anyone who spots the goat should contact UI Public Safety at 319-335-5022.
• A parody account on Twitter — @UofIGoat — has been keeping up with the chase.

Six days after he bolted from the University of Iowa's Research Park, the Richard Kimble of barnyard animals — William the Goat, as he's been nicknamed — remains at large, with law enforcement reporting a couple of near apprehensions.

One veterinary science expert, meanwhile, said Thursday that goats can survive for long periods of time in the wild, possibly even years, meaning the escapee could be well-equipped to fend for himself.

Coralville Police Chief Barry Bedford said while his officers are not actively searching for the research goat, they have been responding to reported sightings. Bedford said the goat — named William by his department on the "Wanted" poster it's circulated on social media — has evaded capture at least twice this week.

"I know in one place they had him underneath a deck area, and the university people were up there," Bedford said. "But then it got spooked and took off running. Another time, the goat was seen in an area and they thought they had him penned in, but he got away from them."

The goat, described as weighing about 125 pounds and the size of a small deer, has been spotted in neighborhoods in northern Coralville and just north of Iowa City along North Dubuque Street. North Liberty residents have also been told to keep an eye out for animal. The UI Office of Animal Resources has been searching the area, the university said earlier this week.

"It's not like the goat is walking down the street where everyone can see him," Bedford said. "But it has a tendency to keep coming back close to this area, and we've tried to get the word out. We're hoping people will call us if they see it. If they see it we're going to respond right away, and put whatever resources into it as possible."

Bedford said police responded to goat sightings twice Saturday along Highland Park Avenue and Meade Avenue. On Monday, the goat slipped away from its pursuers from under the raised deck in the Auburn Hills Drive neighborhood.

Paul Plummer, an assistant professor at Iowa State University's College of Veterinary Medicine, said in general, goats are "hardy and extremely intelligent animals that can survive for an extended time — even years — in the wild."

Plummer said goats will naturally seek out shelter in the winter months, including windbreaks, awnings and sheds.

"Beyond that, their primary needs are food and water," Plummer said via email. "There is plenty of water available now in the form of snow, if that’s the only source available. And they can eat shrubs and pine trees — so a goat can find plenty to eat, even though the grass is covered by snow in some areas."

The goat has been the talk of the town since he first went missing Friday. He escaped a portable carrier during a transfer operation at the UI Research Park in northwest Coralville.

Social media has been abuzz with the saga, and a parody account on Twitter — @UofIGoat — popped up this week and has been taunting local authorities. "Still on the lam. Can't catch me," @UofIGoat tweeted to Coralville Police on Thursday.

Coralville Police are having some fun of their own with the situation, creating a "Wanted" poster on Facebook with the description: "William enjoys his freedom, running from the law, eating apples and looking at his own reflection."

The People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals, however, haven't been as amused. The animal advocacy group said Tuesday the goat's escape was the result of violations of the Animal Welfare Act, and it called for an investigation into the matter.

Bedford said he hopes the goat is located safe and sound.

"It's certainly a valuable animal, and we certainly don't want anything to happen to it as far as it getting hurt," Bedford said.

Anyone who spots the goat should contact UI Public Safety at 319-335-5022.