VIDEO: Goats, sheep used to graze Santa Clarita hillside escape

LOS ANGELES - A rare sight as hundreds of sheep and goats were seen running through a busy street in Santa Clarita. 

According to Shepherdess Land and Livestock Co., nearly 400 sheep and goats used to graze fire-prone hillsides managed to escape from their enclosure near Towsley Canyon Rd. and Calgrove Blvd.  

On Friday afternoon, the temporary electric fence that contained the animals was tampered with. The animals were spooked and with the fence down, they ran away.

The animals managed to cross the road through traffic. Luckily, the shepherd, his herding dog, and a manager quickly responded and gathered the animals… taking them to safety. The animals were back on the property in less than 20 minutes. 

"A very curious on-looker compromised our temporary electric fence and spooked animals which then proceeded to take advantage of the fact their fence was down and decided to charge the road," Brittany Cole Bush with Shepherdess Land and Livestock Co. said. 

The electric fence helps protect the livestock from predators - such as coyotes, mountain lions, and domesticated dogs. 

"The fence also helps us target where the animals graze for the desired vegetation impacts. If the fence is compromised the safety of the animals and the public is of great concern."

Their team is made up of around 400 sheep and goats, a livestock guardian dog, border collies, and a 24/7 on-site shepherd. The animals can be seen grazing the Santa Clarita hillside from the 5 Freeway. 

The heard can graze two to three acres a day at this time of year on terrain with tough vegetation.