CHELMSFORD — Alice Johannen didn’t believe her eyes Thursday morning when she glanced out her kitchen window and saw a large goat with big horns standing in her McIntosh Road backyard.

“I’ve seen coyotes, I’ve seen a bobcat and I’ve seen fisher cats, but a goat with a leash on it is an entirely different thing,” she said, adding, “He’s a beautiful animal.”

Johannen hadn’t previously been aware of the exploits of the runaway goat, which escaped from a Tewksbury slaughterhouse Friday night and spent the weekend roaming all over Lowell before finding its way to her yard.

She said she did a double-take when he appeared about 11:30 a.m. Thursday.

Seeing the green rope leash attached to the goat, Johannen thought she might try to catch him. But when she went outside to try to engage with the creature, he ran off into the woods behind her house, which connect to Friendship Park and Lupien’s Farm.

Before she’d gone outside, she took a couple pictures of the goat, and after the encounter posted them on Facebook. She also reported the sighting to animal control, and was informed by police that another sighting had been reported.

Chelmsford police did not immediately confirm other sightings. One Twitter user reported seeing the goat a couple miles away from Johannen’s neighborhood by Village View Road, while another reported seeing the goat in Westford overnight Wednesday.

Denis Oliveria, the owner of the goat, said Thursday night he’s still holding out hope the adventurous rascal will come back to him.

“I hope somebody will catch him,” he said.

Johannen wasn’t as optimistic about the freedom-loving ruminant being captured.

“He will not be caught, he just won’t,” she said. “He’s not into it at all.”

Follow Alana Melanson at facebook.com/alana.lowellsun or on Twitter @alanamelanson.