Robyn Stewart
You are driving down State Route 220 past Cliatt’s Crossing and an adult bison comes wandering down the road. What do you do? Who do you call? In a rural county like ours, it’s not unusual to encounter wildlife and livestock in areas where they don’t belong. When this happens, taking the right action steps can be critical to maintaining the safety of the public and animals alike. In the past month, I have encountered a bison, a beef calf, and a goat, all escaped from their usual pastures. This week we are going to talk about what might have happened for an animal to be loose and what action steps you can take to help get them safely home.
A loose domestic or feral animal can be a significant cause of concern for motorists and residents alike. Fully grown beef cattle and bison can weigh upwards of 1000 lbs, while goats can weigh upwards of 100 lbs. As you can imagine, hitting any of these animals in a car can cause significant injury and damage to motorists. In addition to a concern for motor vehicle safety, many of these animals can present with aggression if provoked and may be vectors for diseases and pests. It is also in the best interest of our livestock producers to return animals as soon as possible. The loss of even one cow or goat can represent a large economic loss for a producer. Therefore, it is imperative that we return what animals we can in a timely manner and that we handle other loose animals in the most humane and ethical way possible.
Most animals are likely to stay in their pasture or housing as long as several conditions are met. If there is adequate food, water, shelter, and space, most animals will stay behind fences. Common reasons animals may leave their enclosure include a broken fence, threat from a predator or other animal, or lack of resources (food, water). It is imperative that livestock and animal owners check their fence lines often and maintain good availability of resources to reduce the likelihood that their animals will stray. Sometimes, a fence may not even be completely broken, but young animals like beef calves will be able to slip through it anyways.
In the event that you do encounter an animal on a road or somewhere it doesn’t belong, there are a few things you should not do. You should never approach or engage an unfamiliar animal. Most of the species you may encounter are prey species and have flight or fight instincts. This means that they are likely to run away- either into the roadway or into the nearest area of cover, i.e. trees. However, if they feel trapped and threatened, or if they are injured, they can become aggressive and will try to fight their way out of a situation. Therefore, it is best that you keep a safe distance from the animal. It is also important that you do not try to feed, corral, or catch any animal you encounter. Maintaining your safety and the safety of those around you should always be your first priority.
Just as there are things you should not do when you meet an escaped animal, there are several things you should do. When you encounter an unfamiliar lost animal, the first thing you should do is contact your local sheriff’s office to report it. The Lincoln County Georgia Sheriff’s Office can be reached at (706) 359-4118. They may have had a report of the animal already and be working on getting it home safe and sound. In the case of the bison, the sheriff knew where it had come from and had a direct line of communication with the animal’s owner. When you contact the sheriff, please be ready to tell them where and when you saw the animal. The more details you can provide, the more effectively we can handle the situation. In addition to the sheriff’s office, you can also contact the Lincoln County Extension Office at 706-359-3233, as we may have information on who that animal belongs to. Your decisive action in regards to loose animals can help make Lincoln County a safer place for the public and ensure the profitability of our livestock producers.
