>A few years ago I went to a farm to buy a goat. The younger goats did not know why I was there, but when an older goat saw me and our eyes met, it knew, and took off.
It could have took off for 100000 reasons, non of which end being "because it read your mind".
For example: it got scared, it did it randomly, is afraid of strangers because it had some bad experience, etc...
The most "advanced" behaviour I'd attribute that to would be possibly having recognised that when strangers come, other goats disappear and don't come back.
But I'd expect it to be more likely to just be one of your simpler suggestions.
It's just bizarre to attribute it to mind reading, when we'd apply far more mundane reasons if we saw the same behaviour in people.
It could have took off for 100000 reasons, non of which end being "because it read your mind".
For example: it got scared, it did it randomly, is afraid of strangers because it had some bad experience, etc...