A pair of goats who became tourist attractions on a Lake Manitoba island would like to return, but their owner says he’s mired in paperwork.
Hopper and Gonzo had happily spent their summers hanging out, grazing, and meeting tourists on ‘Goat Island’, about 209 kilometres northwest of Winnipeg – until complaints filed by local cottage owners led to their removal in July.
Steep Rock Kayak owner Peter Hofbauer brought the goats to live on the island a few years ago, not expecting they would end up becoming a major tourist attraction.
On social media this week, Hofbauer said the duo are still under ‘house arrest’ near Lake Manitoba while he figures out a way to bring them back.
“I had hoped that it would be possible to return them to Goat Island for the remainder of our short summer season, but necessary paperwork restricts the process,” he said.
Hofbauer said one of the permit applications wouldn’t be reviewable until October at the earliest.
He said he’s also required to clean up an abandoned barge on the island that was discarded there a half-century ago, and is urging visitors to be careful around the abandoned wood and metal.
The goats’ removal initially stemmed from a public complaint that Manitoba had addressed other unauthorized uses of Crown land in the area but was allowing the goats to remain without permission.
“I had also hoped that the two goats could return to the island for ‘grazing’ due to the drought we are experiencing, but because I m not farming goats, rather using them for a tourist attraction, they fall under the wrong classification,” said Hofbauer.
“Sorry to all the tourists and especially all the children out there that looked forward to this unique experience, but I tried my best.”
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