"Surreal mission"

Goat gets lost on 5th floor windowsill

The big question for the emergency services: where did the animal climber come from - and who does it belong to?

(Bild: Bomberos Madrid)

A goat caused a spectacular firefighting operation in Madrid: it apparently got lost on the narrow windowsill of a fifth-floor apartment. Concerned neighbors alerted the emergency services - but how the animal ended up in this dangerous position remains a mystery.

The action in the south of the Spanish capital not only caused a stir among neighbors, but also online and in the media. "Surreal operation" was the headline in the newspaper "El Periódico", while the digital newspaper "El Confidencial" spoke of a "mystery" and reported on "totally baffled neighbors" in the Villaverde district.

Rescue operation at a dizzying height
As the window in front of which the animal was sitting was closed and the apartment was unoccupied, a rescue operation was launched from the balcony of the neighboring apartment. A video posted by the fire department on Facebook shows the emergency services using a stretcher to build a kind of bridge between the windowsill and the balcony wall.

Carrots and lettuce leaves as lures
The firefighters are careful not to frighten the animal. Using carrots and lettuce leaves, they apparently succeed in gaining the goat's trust. After a while, the animal suddenly climbs onto the stretcher without any further help from the rescuers and saunters towards the balcony.

Many questions remain unanswered
Although goats are considered intelligent and skilled climbers, the fire department could not rule out the possibility of the animal - a brown dwarf goat - falling and injuring itself or a passer-by. In the end, there was a happy ending. But many questions remain unanswered: How did the animal get there? Who does it belong to? The responsible authorities explained that they wanted to clarify these questions - but the first thing they wanted to do was find a home for the goat, they said.