NEWS

UI goat that went on the lam is euthanized

Zach Berg
zberg@press-citizen.com

The goat that escaped a University of Iowa research lab earlier this year and roamed the Iowa City area for 10 days was euthanized the month following his capture.

Colleen Sunderland provided this photo of a goat she saw running loose in January 2016 near Oakdale Boulevard and the University of Iowa's Research Park.

Stephen Pradarelli, strategic communications director for UI, said Friday that the euthanization on March 22 was protocol in the research project the goat was involved in and "did not have anything to do with the animal's escape."

The goat, affectionately named William by locals, was part of a research project examining orthopedic injuries, Pradarelli said. Animals used for research are often examined after their euthanization, Pradarelli said, making euthanization "fairly standard."

The goat was being researched to "develop new methods of forestalling post-traumatic osteoarthritis," according to research information from UI.

UI officials floated many ideas on how to help find and capture the goat, according to emails released from UI. The use of a drone, helicopter, herding dogs, a local hunter and even the use of a "female goat in heat" were all proposed, but nixed.

The hunt for the goat cost UI an estimated $10,000.

This image released by the University of Iowa shows the goat who escaped a research facility earlier this year.

On Jan. 29, the goat escaped Research Park in Coralville while officials were transferring him to a vehicle. The 125-pound goat was on the run for 10 days and was spotted throughout the area, both in Coralville and North Liberty.

The goat was captured near the intersection of First Avenue and Auburn East Lane between Coralville and North Liberty on Feb. 8 and was returned to Research Park later that day.

An email from People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals released a statement Friday stating "William captured the hearts of people across the country, who saw in his escape the universal desire to be free" and decried the goat's euthanization.

The Coralville Police Department, which assisted in the search and posted "wanted" signs around the area, shared condolences on the department's Twitter account.

Reach Zach Berg at 319-887-5412, zberg@press-citizen.com, or follow him on Twitter at @ZacharyBerg. 

A map created by James Sheets, veterinarian and interim director of the Office of Animal Resources at The University of Iowa, to try to track the location of a goat that escaped a UI research facility in January 2016.