Famous Kentucky goat’s days of roaming I-65 are over. Houdini has a new home.
Houdini, the goat that once made his home alongside Interstate 65 outside Elizabethtown, won’t be seen standing atop concrete barriers and guard rails anymore.
The white billy goat that startled and amused I-65 travelers is now living a life of ease at Broadbent Wildlife Sanctuary in Meade County.
The sanctuary posted photos on its Facebook page, saying that Houdini was released into his new, five-acre pen on Tuesday morning.
“This is a big and happy step forward in his journey,” the facility said.
Houdini had been under the guardianship of Hardin County Animal Care and Control since October, when he was injured in a traffic accident.
The Hardin County judge-executive’s office issued a news release Thursday announcing the decision to transfer Houdini to the sanctuary.
According to the release, Judge-Executive Harry Berry had appointed a six-member committee to study possibilities for a future home for the goat.
“The committee unanimously recommended Broadbent Wildlife Sanctuary in Guston, Kentucky. After reviewing the committee’s decision brief, I fully concur and have signed a decision memorandum to authorize his transfer,” Berry said in the release. “I appreciate the committee’s work and I am pleased Houdini has a new home that will provide him the proper resources to live out the remainder of his life in a safe, loving and peaceful environment.”
Houdini became something of a legend because of his life on the highway, and state police grew accustomed to receiving calls from motorists who were concerned about his welfare, according to the News-Enterprise in Elizabethtown, which covered his rise to fame and subsequent injury and recovery.
According to the judge-executive’s release, Houdini’s “aggressive nature and desire to be out of captivity” had made it hard for veterinarians to treat his broken leg. The cost of his care was offset by donations from the community.
Broadbent said in a Facebook post Monday night that Houdini will likely have a permanent limp as a result of a severe break that “tried to heal on its own and failed to fuse.”
The injury was painful, and the goat would not have been able to live with it out on the interstate, according to Broadbent.
After arriving at the sanctuary on Friday, he was evaluated over the weekend by the facility’s staff veterinarian and a veterinarian from Miami.
“Houdini is in good spirits and getting friendlier with our staff,” the organization said in its post on Monday. “He was contained in a small area for quite some time in order to protect his leg, and as you can imagine, probably wasn’t too happy about it. We have plenty of room at Broadbent for him, but have to be careful not to let him damage his leg further. We don’t think he’ll be climbing up on guardrails anymore, but there’s no way to know exactly what he’ll be capable of doing eventually. He’s a pretty tough guy!”
He is still being monitored around the clock, the facility said Tuesday.
The facility said visitors will be able to see Houdini at some point in the future. Broadbent is open to members of the public by appointment only, according to its website.