Phillipa

**Research Report** // Feral Goats // Goats were brought into Australia and New Zealand by European settlers for various reasons. For example, cashmere goats were imported into South Australia in 1837— in the 1860s there was even an attempt to start a goat fibre industry using wool from angora and cashmere goats imported from Asia. This industry collapsed in the 1920s and some herds were set free. During the 19th century, goats were set free on islands and on the mainland by mariners to be used as emergency supplies of food. More recently, feral goat populations have been established from goats that were originally used to control weeds in plantation forests and woody weeds in inland New South Wales and Queensland.
 * Activity 2 **
 * History **

Feral goats fuck like crazy any day and every day even sometimes with other species (eg. Humans, Toads) which leads to them being fucking everywhere and someday taking over world and raping all living things. ITS JUST FUCKED!!!!!!!!
 * Distribution **

In Australia, feral goats have been estimated to cause losses to pastoralism of $25 million in a year, not including the impact of goats on the environment, of soil erosion, or pasture degradation. Feral goats also affect conservation and biological diversity by damaging vegetating and competing with native animals. When feral goats reach large populations in habitats which are not adapted to them, they may become an invasive species with serious negative effects, such as removing native scrub, trees and other vegetation. Feral goats are sometimes used for conservation grazing, to control the spread of undesirable scrub or weeds in open natural habitats. On the positive side, many pastoralists capture feral goats and sell them. Commercial selling of feral goats is an industry worth about $29 million annually. Feral goats are sometimes used for conservation grazing to control the spread of undesirable scrub or weeds in open natural habitats such as heath lands and grasslands.
 * Damage **

Feral goats carry many parasites such as cestodes, nematodes and protozoans. Cross-infection between feral goats and stock is known to be relatively low except in well-watered pastures. However, feral goats are not common in these areas. Feral goats can also carry a wide range of bacteria and viruses such as the bacterium that causes meliodosis. A large concern of to cattle and sheep producers is the potential that feral goats may carry many diseases that may be harmful to stock that don’t yet occur in Australia. These include: foot-and-mouth disease, screw-worm fly and Rift Valley Fever etc.
 * Disease **

**Management** Australia has an estimated 2.6 million feral goats, distributed in all the states and territories. Feral goats are a complex management problem, for they are a major agricultural and environmental pest but also a commercial resource, providing income to farmers who muster and sell them. Feral goats compete with sheep and some native animals for pasture, and contribute to degrading of the land through grazing. High density populations of goats in accessible, semi-arid areas are best reduced initially by mustering or trapping at water so the costs of control can be offset by the sale of the captured goats. To further reduce the population or where the density of goats is too low to be mustered and sold, aerial or ground shooting is an efficient method. Aerial shooting from helicopters is best in difficult terrain, and where feral goats are few. Management of very low density colonising or remnant populations of goats is assisted by the use of radio-tagged Judas goats. Fences have been used to exclude goats from some areas although they need to be maintained regularly. //Judas Goat Technique:// This technique involves capturing wild goats, fitting them with a radio-collar and releasing them to allow them to link up again with other individuals and groups. The groups of feral goats can be located and shot by tracking the radio-collared animal. The technique works well on highly social animals such as feral goats. The technique is usually used for low density populations or to remove survivors from earlier control programs.

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** Activity 3 ** // The Debate over Alpine Cattle Grazing Continues // // Why have the cattle been denied access to grazing? // The fire-damaged areas haven’t had enough time to recover, and to allow cattle grazing at this stage would undoubtedly hinder the recovery process.

// Who is responsible for issuing licences for cattle grazing? // Parks Victoria is responsible for licensing in national parks. The Department of Sustainability and Environment (DSE) are responsible for licensing in state forests.

// How many parks are likely to recommence grazing in summer? // About 12 of 43 national parks.

// Why is recovery time slower in areas 800m above sea level? // Chris Rose, the Alpine National Park’s chief ranger, stated “The growing season is a lot shorter. They have a lot of snow and frost … all of its growing occurs in a couple of months.”

// What does Ian Harris say the problem is with cattle grazing in alpine areas? // “These days farmers on private land routinely fence off stream banks, for example, yet cattle owners with highly privileged agistment in some of our most intact natural area allow cattle to erode stream banks and pollute waterways question,”