Twenty-year-old Austin Montana* from Denbigh, Clarendon, received the shock of his life when he recently witnessed a man having sex with a goat under a tree.

Montana, who had gone to the tree in search of ackees, told THE STAR that the animal's wailing did not deter the perverted man who unreservedly gave of himself to the beast.

"It happened about two weeks ago in the community of Woodside, Denbigh, I think it was on the 10th of March," Montana said. "I was in an ackee tree (about 7:30 in the morning) when a man came under the tree with a goat. He was there talking to the goat saying "... Man what a wicked gal, mi nuh touch di gal and di gal seh mi rape har but a bet seh if a did yuh mi touch, yuh wouldn't say nutting."

Very vulnerable

Montana said that the man then held the goat and bound its four feet and tied its head near to the tree, locking the clueless animal into a very vulnerable position.

He said that the man then rubbed a liquid on his member and proceeded to have sex with the goat.

"The goat began to cry baah, baah as if it was crying for help ... (but) the man held on to its mouth and said: "yes, yes yuh only can baal but yuh can't talk," Montana said.

The witness who watched in disgust said the sick man released the animal after he had enjoyed enough, but the seemingly bruised beast could not walk.

After snapping back to reality, Montana said he shouted at the 'goat-raper' from the tree and tried to apprehend him, but the man bolted away faster than any four-legged animal.

"The goat died the day after and I blame myself because I didn't bring the delinquent to justice," a remorseful Montana said. "It died under the tree."

Montana said he did not stop the man initially because he wanted to see exactly what he was up to, a decision he now regrets.

Montana, who did not report the incident, said he has not seen the man since then. "I had seen him more than once but since the incident, I haven't seen him. I believe he is of unsound mind because only a madman would do such a thing," he said.

An officer at the Four Paths Police Station, which is close to Denbigh, told THE STAR that while they have received no formal reports of bestiality for about two years, there is often talk of such incidents in and around the community.

He encouraged anyone who witnesses or has knowledge of such incidents to report the matter to the police and said a convicted person could be sentenced to anything from three months to six months in jail.

Number has decreased

Dr Paul Turner, senior veterinary surgeon at the Jamaica Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals, said the organisation used to get at least two reports of such incidents per month. He said, however, that this number has decreased and the organisation has received no reports since the start of this year.

He said in some instances, people refrain from making reports so as not to embarra** their community. He said incidents like these are often hushed, and while a report may be made, the perpetrator's identity is sometimes not revealed.

He told THE STAR that more stringent forms of punishment should be implemented for those who commit these acts.

"These cases should be treated like rape. The animal could never give consent and anyone who abuses an animal in that way will abuse a human too. If people know that there are serious consequences, you can stop these things. We need some half a million-dollar fine and some sentence of three to five years."