A mountain goat has been safely removed from a Cochrane-area home and relocated back in the mountains. Photo courtesy Alberta Fish and Wildlife

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A stubborn mountain goat that had persisted in stalking Bragg-area homeowners has been sent back to the wilds.

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Alberta Fish and Wildlife Enforcement (FWE) said the animal, whose elusive species is normally glimpsed clinging to the upper crags of the nearby Rocky Mountains, had recently showed up at an acreage home in the West Bragg Creek where it lingered for two days, acting “aggressively.”

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“The goat refused to leave the owners’ deck for two days, causing the owners to contact Fish and Wildlife Enforcement Services,” the agency said in a statement Tuesday.

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“The officers arrived at the property, assessed the situation, tranquilized the goat and safely relocated it back into the mountains.”

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Photos provided by wildlife officers show the white young male goat, equipped with a set of horns, looking towards the camera while standing on a wooden deck.

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Another depicts the same animal apparently lying tranquilized and secured in the back of a pickup truck while a smiling fish and wildlife officer looks on.

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A mountain goat has been safely removed from a Bragg Creek-area home and relocated back in the mountains. Photo courtesy Alberta Fish and Wildlife

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It’s a situation they encounter extremely rarely, said FWE.

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“Occurrences like these likely happen only once in a fish and wildlife officer’s career and remind us how privileged we are to work in our field,” they said.

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The location of the acreage had originally been identified by FWE as in the Cochrane area. Later on Tuesday, the province said where the animal was found at West Bragg Creek is only a few kilometres from known goat habitat on Moose Mountain.

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“Mountain goats being found outside their typical range is uncommon, but it is not uncommon for young males (billies) to leave their home range at a young age in search of a new home range, which is the most likely explanation in this particular instance,” stated Public Safety and Emergency Services in an email.

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