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A helicopter with thermal technology will search 16,000 hectares of the Tongariro National Park this month in an effort to ensure the World Heritage-listed site is free of feral goats.
According to the Department of Conservation it is the largest-scale surveillance operation it has attempted.
Department of Conservation (DoC) Tongariro District operations manager George Taylor told the Waikato Herald the park’s Capra hircus or wild goat population was eradicated last year.
“We undertake regular surveillance to detect and address incursions early. This is far more cost-effective than removing an established population,” Taylor said.
“This year we will be surveying around 16,000 hectares of the national park using high-specification thermal technology.
“[They] also trample and harden soils, and, when combined with less vegetation, steep countryside is more vulnerable to slips and erosion.
“If allowed to remain and breed in high numbers, the entire understory of forests can be stripped away and can cause forest canopy collapse.”
Wild goats were eradicated from Tongariro National Park last year.
Taylor said keeping goats out of the park was essential to maintain the area’s natural and cultural value.
“National park status is one of the highest protections given to conservation land, and it is important we manage the threats facing its unique native biodiversity.”
A helicopter will be completing surveillance and control of goats in the park from May 1 to June 20, weather dependent.
A notification on the DoC webpage for the Tongariro Alpine Crossing said the helicopter would operate from early mornings for four to six hours.
“The alpine zone may be surveyed later in the morning,” the website said. “Deer and pigs are not being targeted. Any control efforts will be in open areas, as close as possible to reduce risks.”
According to DoC’s website aerial and ground shooting are the most common methods used for goat control. Other methods used are trapping and mustering.
“DoC uses a combination of professional ground hunters and staff with highly trained indicator or bailing dogs for locating wild goats for removal,” the website said.
The search area for feral goats in Tongariro National Park.
What are feral goats and where did they come from?
According to the Waikato Regional Council, goats (Capra hircus) were introduced to New Zealand in the 1770s.
Originally, the goats acted as an additional food source and cleared weeds on developing land.
They later provided fibre for commercial industries. Goats were easily domesticated, and, as a result, were moved throughout the country as land was cleared for farming and settlement.
Populations of feral goats have largely been a result of escapees from farms and deliberate releases. They occupy a wide range of habitats from the coast to upland areas, living in introduced and native grasslands, scrub and forest.
Male goats stand around 70 centimetres high at the shoulder and can grow to 1.5 metres in length, weighing between 50 to 60 kilograms. Adult females are considerably smaller. Both sexes may have coats of white, black, brown or a combination of these, and have horns.
Goats were recognised as a threat to New Zealand’s native vegetation from the 1890s and were identified as a major pest in the 1930s.
Male goats stand around 70 centimetres high at the shoulder and can grow to 1.5 metres in length, weighing between 50 to 60 kilograms.
How can you help?
DoC asks for hunters, landowners and other agencies to report any wild goat sightings at wildanimalmanagement@doc.govt.nz or via the DoC website.
According to DoC, any hunters who can safely remove wild goats are authorised to do so.
Signs of the goats’ presence include tracks showing paired hoves with pointed, slightly curved tips just like sheep tracks.
Faecal pellets can be found singly or in groups and are smooth, have an elongated oval shape, rounded at each end – very similar to sheep, sika deer and possums.
The call is a “meh” rather than a “baa” and rutting males have a pungent smell.
Maryana Garcia is a Hamilton-based multimedia reporter covering breaking news in Waikato. She previously wrote for the Rotorua Daily Post and Bay of Plenty Times.
