Washington Apartment Complex Hires 200 Goats to Eat Overgrown Riverbed

A couple hundred goats aren't exactly the new neighbors you'd expect, but one Reddit user's Washington apartment complex has decided to make that the case, hiring the animals to help clear overgrown plants.

According to the resident, the goats ate away at around 20 acres, and are scheduled to be working for 13 days after being brought in by two semi-truck trailers last Wednesday, July 8.

"Clairvoyantweed" shared the image of a herd of goats casually parading in his apartment yard to Reddit just 10 hours ago, and has already gained over 50,000 votes on the post.

"My apartment complex rented out 200 goats to eat away at the overgrown path and riverbed behind our buildings," he captioned the image.

The goats have already successfully chewed away at the blackberry and ivy that covered the fence shown in the picture, and have also left the blackberry branches by the slope to the creek completely bare.

Goats being hired as landscapers may come as a surprise to some, but the animals are actually widely used across the U.S. as effective ways to remove overgrowth. Companies hire out the goats as they're able to get into difficult-to-reach spots and aren't prone to the negative effects of plants like poison ivy—in fact, they love it.

Poison oak, picker and bittersweet bushes are some of the other invasive plants that goats have no problem tackling.

"When the goats eat the leaves and stems of invasive plants, it allows light and air to get to native plants and grasses, leveling the competitive playing field. Continual re-browsing of some invasive plants may also weaken them through carbohydrate starvation," reported the Ecological Landscape Alliance.

Along the West Coast, goats are even used to reduce wildfires by chewing away at vegetation that would otherwise provide fuel to the fires.

Some owners use portable electric fences to contain the herd while working, but this Reddit user claimed his apartments' goats were kept at bay with the help of a dog.

Not only are the employed goats plainly entertaining, but they're also beneficial to the environment. Goats use a lot less fuel than the likes of heavy landscaping equipment and don't require the use of strong chemicals either.

With over 50,000 votes on the post, it even managed to unite fellow residents of the Silverdale apartment building, who recognized the image.

"Omg I live here! I miss them already," commented one, while another added: "How many people from our apartment complex are on Reddit."

One Reddit user even confirmed the location of the picture, after writing that they've "been having a lot of fun keeping an eye on their progress this last week. They've done some serious damage to all the brush."

"I'm picturing you all hanging out now," joked one user, entertained by the online residents union.

On Wednesday, two dozen goats were also dropped off in New York City's Riverside Park to eat their way through invasive plants. Locals visited the park to see them be released—an event named the "Running of the Goats."

Buckles, Chalupa, Mallemar, Ms. Bo Peep and Skittles will all stay at the park until the end of August, and residents can vote for their Ranked-Choice G.O.A.T in a fun election online.

Newsweek has contacted the Reddit user for comment.