Two pygmy goats who briefly rode a public bus in Portland have been returned to their owner. The goats, nicknamed "Billy the Kid" and "Billy the Goat," were identified by the Tri-County Metropolitan Transportation District of Oregon (TriMet) after footage of their unusual commute went viral.
The incident occurred Tuesday morning during rush hour when the goats boarded an unspecified TriMet bus. "Some goats just got on," a passenger is heard saying in newly released footage from inside the bus. The bus operator, Abdellah L., noticed the animals and stopped the bus.
"I was going to secure my bus and try to get them out of the bus," Abdellah said in an interview shared by TriMet. "And one of the passengers volunteered and get them out of the bus."
Passengers were able to coax the goats off the bus. Abdellah noted the goats likely did not have a valid fare, humorously adding, "that’s why they left right away." He rated the goats' behavior on the bus an "eleven out of ten" for leaving quietly and safely.
The goats' owner has since secured their pen to prevent future escapes. TriMet has capitalized on the viral moment by releasing a T-shirt featuring the goats, calling them "the internet’s favorite TriMet passengers."