DIAMOND BAR >> Deputies tried their hand at goat-herding Wednesday after about 70 goats escaped from a Diamond Bar field where they were being used to clear brush, authorities said.
Deputies first received a report just before midnight on Tuesday that a large group of goats had broken loose and was wandering in the area of Canyon Ridge Road, Los Angeles County sheriff’s Sgt. Hugo Reynaga said.
Officials did not locate the wayward herd in the darkness, he said. But about 6:30 Wednesday morning, a second caller reported seeing the goats wandering along Fallow Field Drive, chomping on grass as the went.
“Deputy (Aaron) Scheller was able to corral the goats in the front yard of a residence, turn them around and herd them back to a nearby open field,” sheriff’s officials said in a written statement.
“Apparently, over 200 goats had been brought in to clear the open field of dry overgrown brush and grass. However, sometime during the night, they hatched their escape plan by pushing over a perimeter fence,” the statement said. “It took two hours but all of the 200 goats were captured and returned to their corral.”
“One of the great parts of a law enforcement career is the variety,” the statement continued. “Every day there is something new.”

PHOTOS courtesy of the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department