A mountain goat that entered Resurrection Bay in Seward and drowned Saturday was crowded into the water by people following it through the downtown area, troopers said. 
 
 Reports that the goat, standing on a breakwater dike, was being harassed first came in at about 6:30 p.m. Saturday, according to an Alaska State Troopers dispatch. Roughly half an hour later, a second report came in that the goat was "swimming in front of the SeaLife Center in the ocean." 
 
 According to the Seward City News, the goat traveled to the downtown area from the Small Boat Harbor with animal control officers in "hot pursuit." 
 
 "Investigation revealed a large amount of people followed the goat towards the SeaLife Center on the rocks, resulting in the goat jumping back into the water," troopers wrote. "The goat was unable to come back to the rocks due to the people standing on the rocks. The goat ended up drowning in the water." 
 
 A good Samaritan recovered the goat's carcass, troopers said. 
 
 "It is imperative that wildlife is given adequate space to be able to leave a congested area like downtown Seward," troopers wrote. "(P)eople not giving the animal space and getting close to take photos resulted in a wild animal dying for no cause." 

 Kerri O’Neill had just finished dinner at a Seward restaurant with her young daughter on Saturday when she noticed something unusual run through the parking lot -– a mountain goat. 
 
 O’Neill and her child got into their car as the goat headed toward the beach. 
 
 Something had spooked the goat off the mountains and into the streets of downtown Seward. Now the animal appeared to be trying to find a way back. But as it ran along the beach, onlookers blocked its way. 
 
 At some point the goat jumped into the water. 
 
 “There was a sea otter next to it. And then a woman’s Spaniel swam out to it,” O’Neill said. 
 
 Desperate to help the goat, O’Neill called the Alaska SeaLife Center. A woman who answered told her to contact the Alaska Wildlife Conservation Center in Portage, which she did. O’Neill said she was told to try to encourage people to stay away from the goat. 
 
 “I wish there was a better system,” O’Neill said. 
 
 Alaska Wildlife Troopers received a report at about 6:30 p.m. that people were harassing a mountain goat on the south end of the Seward Harbor breakwater dike. 
 
 When troopers arrived, the goat wasn’t there. But they got another call about a half-hour later about the goat swimming in Resurrection Bay in front of the SeaLife Center. 
 
 “Investigation revealed a large amount of people followed the goat towards the SeaLife Center on the rocks resulting in the goat jumping back in to the water. The goat was unable to come back to the rocks due to the people standing on the rocks,” the troopers reported. 
 
 The goat ended up drowning. A boater recovered the animal and it was donated to charity, according to troopers. 
 
 O’Neill said she is heartbroken. She’s also angry about people who don’t obey the law by keeping their dogs on leashes, which she said contributed to the goat’s agitation. 
 
 The troopers didn’t mention anything about loose dogs but they do say that people “not giving the animal space and getting too close resulted in a wild animal dying for no cause.” 
 
 Most Alaskans know not to harass wildlife but visitors often don’t know the rules, O’Neill said. She would like companies that bring visitors to Alaska to do more public outreach about how to conduct oneself in the presence of wildlife. They could make an announcement aboard cruise ships, on the railroad, at motorhome rental outlets or airplanes before they land in Alaska, O’Neill suggested. 
 
 The Alaska Department of Fish and Game, which does not have an office in Seward, does public outreach at schools, public events and through its printed and electronic materials about how the public should respond if they see a wild animal being harassed, and how to react if an unexpected wildlife encounter occurs. 
 
 “There’s a lot of common sense involved. You need to give wildlife their space,” said Ken Marsh, a Fish and Game spokesman. 
 
 “By getting too close you’re putting the animal in danger and yourself in danger,” he said. 
 
 Anyone who witnesses someone harassing wildlife should call Alaska Wildlife Troopers.
– After the unfortunate death of a mountain goat, Alaska residents and visitors have been urged not to act like the paparazzi when they encounter wildlife. The goat, which had apparently wandered down from a mountain into the city of Seward, drowned on Saturday while trying to escape a crowd that had followed it through downtown streets, the Alaska Dispatch News reports. After it had already been in the water once, "a large amount of people followed the goat towards the SeaLife Center on the rocks, resulting in the goat jumping back into the water," state troopers wrote in a press release. "The goat was unable to come back to the rocks due to the people standing on the rocks. The goat ended up drowning in the water." Witnesses tell KTUU that the mountain goat, which had made its way downtown pursued by animal control officers, was unable to find its way out of town because onlookers got in the way taking photographs. One witness who called authorities to report people harassing the goat says loose dogs also scared the goat, including a spaniel that swam out to it when it was in the water. "It is imperative that wildlife is given adequate space to be able to leave a congested area like downtown Seward," troopers wrote. People "not giving the animal space and getting close to take photos resulted in a wild animal dying for no cause."