Goat Loose in South Brunswick Friday Morning

South Brunswick, NJ - He's been one baaaaaaaahd boy.

No, South Brunswick police say, this is not an April Fool's joke. A goat really did get loose from a property on Kingston Lane Friday morning and briefly shut down traffic on the roadway.

Someone called in a goat at 8:18 a.m. Friday, said Captain Jim Ryan of the South Brunswick police. The goat was seen running in the middle of Kingston Lane, only about a block away from Crossroads South Middle School and four doors down from police headquarters. Police had to shut down Kingston Lane to catch the goat, which caused a traffic back-up in the area and somewhat of a commotion, Ryan said. A school bus even pulled over on the side of Kingston Lane to let the goat pass.

The officer was able to apprehend the goat and lead him back safely to the yard where he is kept. He was secured by 8:32 a.m., Ryan said. That's him pictured, above, in a photo provided by South Brunswick police.

All the officer had to was shoo the animal back to its yard, he said. The goat is domesticated and the owners said he responds to his own name, Peanut.

"They said, 'Peanut,' and the goat turned around," Ryan said. "It's like a trained dog."

"It really would not have been that big of a problem except it happened right in the middle of rush hour as all the kids and parents were driving to the middle school," he added.

It's only in the past 10-15 years or so that South Brunswick has become developed, and the area used to be mainly farms, he pointed out.

"Oh, we've had our share of farm animals getting loose," Ryan said.

Ryan said the department does not participate in April Fool's jokes.