Nation/World

Goat man sighting in Utah mountains could boost hunting permit sales

Wildlife officials in Utah are trying to track down a man dressed in a goat suit seen frolicking with a herd of wild mountain goats.

Photographer Coty Creighton snapped several pictures after spotting "goat man," as he's been dubbed, while on a hike last week, Salt Lake City TV station KTSU reported.

Noticing one goat trailing behind the rest of the goat herd, Creighton picked up his binoculars for a closer look and was shocked.

The "goat" was actually a man dressed in a crudely made white goat costume with fake horns and a cloth mask with cut-out eye holes, according to The Associated Press.

"I thought, `What is this guy doing?' " Creighton told the AP. "He was actually on his hands and knees. He was climbing over rocks and bushes and pretty rough terrain on a steep hillside."

The man occasionally pulled up his goat mask to get a better view of the rocky terrain below, and froze when the two spotted each other.

"He kind of slouched down, like was getting nervous or was feeling really self-conscious," Creighton said, according to Fox News. "He actually got off his hands and knees and sat on the hill for several minutes until he thought I was gone."

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Utah wildlife officials told the AP the man isn't breaking any laws, but they want to talk with him about potential dangers.

They worry he could be attacked by a real goat or -- even worse -- accidentally shot when goat hunting season begins in September, Gawker reported.

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