Goats

Australia has a thriving population of feral goats, up to 2.6 million, depending on whether it is a drought year. They can be found in all Australian states and the ACT with the largest populations occurring in Western Australia. They do well in the semi-arid regions; more so if there are few dogs or dingos. This is why there are fewer goats in South Australia while across the border with its dog fence they are proliferating in western NSW.

Domestic goats (Capra hircus) first arrived in Australia with the First Fleet. Being hardy they were a perfect dairy animal for the harsher Australian conditions, as well as providing some meat. Cashmere and mohair breeds were introduced in the 1970s. Any escapees or liberated goats quickly bred up into the current feral populations. Most feral goats are descended from the wool-producing breeds.

Goats are not good for the natural environment. Being hard hooved, they damage the ground, especially on sand and along waterways. Being browsers, they damage shrubs and trees and eat-off young trees and plants. Being large and quite aggressive they can out compete native animals for water and rock shelters. Where there are high numbers of feral goats there is usually substantial environmental damage. There are concerns that goats can spread ovine diseases.

It is almost impossible to eradicate feral goats. In some areas they are mustered in much the same way as cattle. Fencing a water supply and installing a one-way gate is a highly effective way to trap them. Sometimes a captured goat is released with a radio transmitter collar. This ‘Judas goat’ will then join a herd and the herd is then easily located. Goats in rough terrain can be mustered or shot using helicopters. Whatever is done, some goats escape capture and being able to breed twice a year (often having twins) the population soon rises again.

It is not all bad news. About fifteen years ago some graziers started rounding up goats and selling them for pet food. Eventually a few abattoirs were certified to process goats for human consumption. Today the goat meat industry is worth $242 million a year with most meat being exported, mainly to the US. The industry is quite unstable; availability of goats fluctuates (dropping in droughts) and issues with abattoirs (or the lack of them) means that the sale price of goats also fluctuates wildly. Regardless, many graziers are seeing goats as a better alternative in marginal regions to sheep. Sheep are grazing animals and mainly eat grass, and sometimes saltbush, and require a greater level of care than goats. In recent times dorpa sheep have been proven successful in these marginal regions but feral goats are even more successful. 

Locally, there have been feral goats in the forest. My father said when he was a child, he saw goats on the near vertical sides of the Balaclava mine at Whroo and in the 1990s I saw two nannies and their kids between Whroo and Graytown. However, I have not seen the large populations and widespread damage I have seen elsewhere….fingers crossed!