Judas goat

Judas goat

A Judas goat is a trained goat used at a slaughterhouse and in general animal herding. The Judas goat is trained to associate with sheep or cattle, leading them to a specific destination. In stockyards, a Judas goat will lead sheep to slaughter, while its own life is spared. Judas goats are also used to lead other animals to specific pens and on to trucks. [ [http://www.newtotalitarians.com/JudasGoat.html Judas Goat ] ]

The term is a reference to the biblical traitor Judas Iscariot. [ [http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/Judas%20Iscariot Judas Iscariot - Definitions from Dictionary.com ] ]

The phrase has also been used to describe a goat that is used to find feral goats that are targeted for eradication. The Judas goat is outfitted with a transmitter, painted in red and then released. The goat then finds the remaining herds of feral goats, allowing hunters to exterminate them. [http://www.environment.gov.au/biodiversity/invasive/publications/humane-control/pubs/goa005-use-judas-goats.pdf]

The phrase was also used in WWII to denote brightly colored airplanes used to marshall fleet of bombers before embarking on a mission. [ [http://www.aircraftmodels.co.uk/456_1_1101632.html Corgi 1/72 Consolidated B-24 Liberator You Cawnt Miss It 448th BG (AA34007) | Antics Online ] ]

In the Star Trek episode "Metamorphosis", Kirk asks Cochrane to lure in an alien in order to attack it, to which Cochrane replies, "What was it they used to call it ... the Judas goat?" [ [http://www.voyager.cz/tos/epizody/32metamorphosistrans.htm Star Trek Sickbay - TOS: Episody - 32 - Metamorphosis - Transcript ] ]

Also in the movie The Wild Bunch by Sam Peckinpah the railroad man Harrigan says to the character played by Robert Ryan, "You are my Judas goat Mr.Thornton" indicating that as a former member of the Bunch, he is being used to bring in the remaining members of the gang.

References


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