King Puck rests in the shade. The king goat has been taken down from its stand in Killorglin at Puck Fair in Co. Kerry, amid an outcry over erecting the wild mountain goat on a high metal stand in a heatwave.
As per tradition the wild goat spends the bulk of the festival atop a 50 foot high stand overlooking the town for the annual festival in the Kingdom.
The Irish Examiner reports that a festival spokeswoman has said the goat was “resting in the shade,” while ”this morning the vet decided it was too hot for him” she said.
The goat is likely to erected atop its perch once more, upon cooler conditions, however that decision is due later on Thursday.
A local vet monitors the animal’s health and a full health check is conducted before his coronation and being hoisted on the stand. As well as being fed, the goat is inoculated.
Organisers confiirmed this week that the goat’s cage would be fitted with a cooling system with fresh water in the cage.
Concerns surrounding the treatment of the puck goat have been an ongoing issue for some years when animal rights organisation Aran (Animal Rights Action Network) said the goat’s capture and confinement was wrong under the provisions of the 2013 Animal Health and Welfare Act.
