The strange incident, which has left the local community shocked and baffled, occurred on forest lands between neighbouring Kildallon and Bocade towards the end of last month.

The wild long-horned white goat was well-known to locals, many of whom considered him a pseudo-pet and a talking-point with visitors to the area.

It’s believed that the goat, who had no owner, lived in the forest for almost a decade, up until the incident in mid-afternoon, approximately 6.30pm on September 28.

Tess Armstrong, who lives on the lane leading to the forest clearing where the goat would appear, told The Anglo-Celt, that her son Barry would regularly and happily leave scraps of food for the animal, who would rarely approach humans.

“It’s left him very sad, Barry was very fond of him,” Tess said of her son, who attends the Cavan Rehab Centre. “Nobody knew who owned it, it bothered nobody. He wouldn’t let you put a hand on him and, as you’d get close, he’d be off. But he loved to get bits of apples or stuff like that. He was a beauty, a lovely animal, and all the neighbours around here loved him,” she said.

Tess described the incident to The Anglo-Celt as “senseless”, having witnessed the theft of goat but was too afraid to approach the men.

“We hope that nothing terrible has happened to him. Everyone thinks the same. It would be awful if it did. Barry asks if they’ll bring the goat back. It’s just senseless to do something like that to an animal that was harming no one.”

She explained how, as dusk was setting in, she witnessed the van passing her home and up to the forestry entrance. “Many the person goes up there, fowlers or whatever, but I never once thought anything would happen to the goat. But something in my heart brought me to the kitchen window, I was keeping an eye for them coming back down and we saw them coming. They seemed to be dragging the goat, I think they had a rope on him,” says Tess.

“We went outside then and there must have been a side door on the van because we could see them shoving the goat into the back, and away they got. I didn’t dare go down to them... I wish I did now. I don’t know what reason those men would have had for taking him away like that.”

Anyone with information is asked to contact local gardaí in Ballyconnell on 049-9625580.