A spokeswoman for the Brackenridge Park Conservancy said the 160 goats clearing excess brush are doing fine after a portable transformer that powered low-voltage electrified fencing to protect them was stolen Wednesday. A police report was filed and the electrical equipment was replaced.
A transformer used to power electrified fencing to contain 160 goats in Brackenridge Park has been stolen.
But officials said the park’s conservancy has secured other equipment to keep the low-voltage fence charged and protect the goats that are clearing excess brush in a seven-acre area of the park.
On ExpressNews.com: Goats being used to clean up Brackenridge Park — no kidding
The theft was reported in a tweet by Deceleration News, which describes itself as a “nonprofit bioregional news/analysis site” on Twitter. According to a tweet posted Thursday afternoon, someone stole the portable transformer “before the sun had gone down” Wednesday, several hours after the Brackenridge Park Conservancy held a media event at the site.
A spokeswoman for the conservancy confirmed that a transformer had been stolen, and a police report was filed. She said San Antonio park police and the city’s parks and recreation staff “are helping to keep our four-legged friends safe.” The transformer has been replaced, and the fence was working normally on Thursday, she said.
Related: Goats helping clear brush in Brackenridge Park
The goats are being provided by Rent-A-Ruminant Texas, based in Brownwood near Abilene. They are foraging and munching on undesirable greenery in an eastern section of the 343-acre park — in a wilderness area along Brackenridge Way just south of Tuleta Avenue. Depending on how fast they eat, they’re scheduled to continue feasting in that area until the end of May, removing plants that have overtaken natural areas and hiking paths.
If the pilot program is successful, the goats may be returned to the park to clear other areas as an eco-friendly form of park management that doesn’t use chemicals or heavy equipment.
Scott Huddleston is a veteran staff writer, covering Bexar County government, local history, preservation and the Alamo. He has been a reporter at the Express-News since 1985, covering a variety of issues, including public safety, criminal justice, flooding, transportation, military, water and the environment. He is a native Texan and longtime San Antonian.