6 June
The campaign by the hedge fund manager Mark Spitznagel to let goats graze in Detroit has hit a snag.
On Thursday, Mr. Spitznagel brought 20 young goats from his farmstead in Northport, Mich., to the Brightmoor neighborhood of Detroit as part of a plan to promote urban renewal and farming.
But by Friday afternoon, the future of the plan appeared uncertain.
Harry Ward, the head of Detroit’s animal control, showed up to find 18 goats munching on the tall grass surrounding the abandoned homes of Brightmoor, one of the city’s most blighted neighborhoods.
Mr. Ward was alerted to the grazing after reading about Mr. Spitznagel’s goats in an article in The New York Times. He said he had been prepared to seize the goats but after assessing the situation, determined that they had adequate food and shelter. He gave the goats — and their caretakers — until Monday to leave the neighborhood; they will be seized otherwise.