Santa Clara family receives a tricky visit from a pair of goats

ST. GEORGE — Like something out of an Edgar Allen Poe novel, a Santa Clara homeowner heard rapping and tapping on his chamber door last Monday.

But this was not a raven.

The eerie moment began when T.J. Forcht and his family, who live on the western edge of Santa Clara near St. George, heard a banging against their front door around 8 p.m. last Monday night. Even in a year where most locals were celebrating trick-or-treating a day early, this was too early. 

There they were. A pair of goats. 

Forcht said he had seen the pair of goats before standing in the middle of the street. He said he had a passing thought that he had seen something a little strange but moved on. But the goats did not.

Goats seen on the porch of a Santa Clara home, Santa Clara Utah, Oct. 25, 2021 | Photo courtesy of T.J. Forcht, St. George News

“Next thing you know they’re ramming on our front door. It sounded like someone was trying to kick in the door. There was glass on the side so we were worried they might get through,” Forcht said. “I called the cops and they laughed at me.”

Even if the police officer wouldn’t believe him, the Forchts caught the invading goats on their doorbell camera. 

Forcht said he chased the goats away with a mop, to the additional laughter of his wife.

Two minutes later, the rapping, tapping and ramming returned. The goats were back and once again were ramming the door.

“Our neighbor across the street said to their husband that their neighbor is being attacked by goats,” Forcht said. “I think they were just trick-or-treating early. They wanted their candy.”

Soon, a patrol car arrived. If the officer was ready to issue a citation for a false report, Forcht figured they changed their mind when they shined their cars beacon on the front porch to see the two goats. 

After what Forcht said was about 10 to 15 minutes of trying to figure out what to do with the goats, who he said acted like they had been around people before, they were guided to a nearby field. 

Forcht isn’t sure where the goats came from, and since Monday has not seen the intruders since, nor have they paid another visit.

But whether that is for nevermore remains to be seen.

Copyright St. George News, SaintGeorgeUtah.com LLC, 2021, all rights reserved.

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