In Detroit, a Black Goat Named 'Smoke' Scared a Local Resident That Didn't Know What to do

Would you be scared if you were walking to your car in your neighborhood and encountered a black goat roaming around?

One Detroit resident was, and ended up jumping on top of his car out of safety.

Black Goat named 'Smoke'

On the West side of Detroit, resident Dae'lan Scott was startled when he saw a black goat roaming around, and he was scared, so he jumped on top of his car.

Innocent Farm Animals or Harbingers of Evil?

Many people that grew up in the city may have little to no experience being around goats. After all, we see them on TV, and can sometimes be associated with the occult, devil worship, evil, and many other satanic things in pop culture.

To those that have farms, they know that goats are curious and mostly harmless creatures that can sometimes get into mischief.

Detroit Resident Startled by Black Goat in Neighborhood

Dae'lan Scott learned that 'Smoke' the black goat, escaped from his property and was just taking a tour of the Detroit neighborhood.

Dae'lan told WXYZ News:

"So I go outside. I'm like, OK, OK, I start 'Baaa, Baaa'" and Smoke "came out of nowhere."

The owner of Smoke the black goat is Robert Pizzimenti, and he was cited for "possessing a wild animal without permit."

Pizzimenti regretfully said:

"I don't want him to walk around. He actually hopped the fence. That wasn't the idea. I do need to keep him contained."

WXYZ  reported that court records reveal that the city has "had a history of problems with his animals."

Pizzimenti also said:

"If Detroiters were allowed to farm and garden the way many of us want to, we could have the most unique city on the planet."

Resident Dae'lan Scott now knows what to do if he comes across Smoke. He will try to get Smoke the black goat back home to Mr. Pizzimenti.

Gulf Coast News Facebook post can be seen below.

Would you be okay if there was a goat living in your neighborhood?

Dallas Safari Club Holds Permit Auction to Hunt and Kill Wild Black Rhinoceros

Black Rhinoceros grazing in Kenya; image credit: Flickr CC; by siwild

Is it okay to hunt and kill a Black Rhinoceros? 

Some people feel that this is the message being sent by the Dallas Safari Club - which held an auction for permit to hunt down and kill a Black Rhinoceros down in the wild. The permit auction was on Saturday, January 11, 2014, granting the winner exlcusive permission to hunt a specific Black Rhinoceros in Namibia, Africa. The Black Rhinoceros being hunted and killed is past his prime, and threatening other wildlife in the area, according the Executive Director of the Dallas Safari Club.

Both the Humane Society and the International Fund for Animal Welfare (IFAW) have publicly spoke out against the Dallas Safari Club permit auction, which is essentially endorsing the killing of an endangered animal in the wild.

Is the Dallas Safari Club Sending the Wrong Message to Conservationists?

The North American regional director of the IFAW, Jeffrey Flocken, says: "The auction is telling the world that an American is will pay anything to kill their species...that is, in fact, making a spectacle of killing an endangered species."

The Dallas Safari Club has opened the permit auction up to anyone in the world, and will grant the permit to the highest bidder. The last time this type of auction was held, the winning bid was $223,000.00 USD.

The winning bid on Jan. 11, 2014 was $350,000.00 USD.

Some Dallas Safari Club member have even received death threats in protest of the auction, which have been reported to the F.B.I. for investigation.

Does it Matter That the Black Rhinoceros is on the Endangered Species List?

The Executive Director of the Dallas Safari Club assures everyone that the money collected from the auction is being used to protect the Black Rhinoceros in the wild, despite the fact that his auction is granting a permit to kill one of an endangered species. He said the animal was "likely to be targeted anyway, because it was becoming aggressive and threatening other wildlife."

Despite his reassurance, there are many people that are outraged that the Dallas Safari Club is granting a permit to hunt and kill an animal considered to be an endangered species.

How Many Rhinoceros are Left in the Wild?

It is estimated that about 4,000 Rhinoceros live in the wild today. There are about 1,800 in Namibia, Africa today. The main reason for their dwindling numbers is loss of habitat, and the other reason is illegal poaching for their ivory tusks.

Black Rhinoceros rear; image credt: Flick CC; by siwild