General

Currently there are small feral populations of goats (Capra hircus) scattered throughout the Canterbury Region. Goats are social animals, they disperse slowly, and do not voluntarily cross large rivers. This results in patchy distribution and allows land managers to consider local eradication. They do however have high birth rates, when in good condition and goat populations colonising in areas or recovering from control may roughly double every two years. The major cause of mortality is hunting, although feral pigs may prey on kids. Goats are browsing generalists and feed on woody species in forests.

Adverse effects of feral goats

Feral goats impact on indigenous ecosystems through their concentrated browsing and trampling. Even in low numbers their impacts on forest and scrublands can be serious – they destabilise forest ecosystems, and defoliate and eat the stems of palatable under-storey species, bark saplings, and prevent regeneration of seedlings. Unpalatable shrubs increase, and on some islands forest ecosystems have been converted to grassland. In Canterbury, plant species most likely to be eaten include mahoe, broadleaf, supplejack, pate, small leafed coprosma species, Asplenium bulbiferum, blackberry, and gorse. Vegetation has been seriously depleted on many of the sites occupied by goats on Banks Peninsula, on the foothills of the Seaward Kaikouras, and in South Canterbury Department of Conservation reserves. Goats may also affect native vertebrate and invertebrate populations by competition for food and by modifying forest habitats.  Feral Goats have few economic impacts, although they may occasionally compete with sheep for feed, and they have a wide range of parasites and diseases in common with sheep. Their range is limited however, and they are controlled relatively easily, so it is not considered that they have any significant economic impact.

Environment Canterbury's role

Feral Goat control is primarily the responsibility of the land owner/occupier.  There are no enforceable rules around the requirement to control feral goats in the Regional Pest Management Strategy 2005-2015. 

Environment Canterbury can facilitate and assist community and land occupier selfhelp programmes to destroy these pests particularly if adjacent to areas of high environmental value to complement control operations, or in other areas if there is community support for control operations.  This would be done through the 'Biodiversity Pest Programme'.