They've eaten themselves out of house and home — and a job.
The goats that were hired to munch through unwanted vegetation in Prospect Park were too good at their work and have left the park temporarily, a Prospect Park Alliance spokeswoman said Thursday.
The four-legged landscaping crew was laid off temporarily "due to their voracity," the park said on Twitter. The post was accompanied by a photo of a satisfied-looking goat reclining in a barren wasteland of former greenery.
Due to their voracity, the goats are leaving and will return shortly, once their food supply replenishes! pic.twitter.com/ohaniZkaGH
— Prospect Park (@prospect_park) June 30, 2016
The goats will probably be back around mid-August, explained Alliance spokeswoman Grace McCreight.
"Weed removal using goats is a two step process — first they eat the existing weeds, then eat any regrowth to diminish the plant's nutrient stores and ensure they don't grow back in the future." McCreight told DNAinfo New York.
"The goats proved to be faster than we anticipated at the first step, so they’re returning to their home farm upstate for a few weeks. Once unwanted plants begin growing back in the Vale of Cashmere, the herd will return to finish the work."
The goats arrived in Prospect Park in May with a mandate to eat as many weeds and invasive species as possible. They've been living in fenced-off areas near the Zucker Natural Exploration Area on the east side of the park.
Park visitors are under strict orders not to feed the animals, because extra food will spoil their appetites for poison ivy and goutweed.
Another troupe of weed-clearing goats recently took up residence at Brooklyn Bridge Park.
