Sounds like Washington state has a healthy population of Rocky Mountain Goats… Cool...
Zbone's Link
" Authorities in Washington have begun using helicopters and trucks to relocate hundreds of non-native mountain goats from Olympic National Park. The effort is designed to move the animals back to a nearby region where they are native. The process will rid the park of the dangerous animals, which have attacked visitors, killing one in 2010. Officials also say the animals have a negative environmental impact. Crews used tranquilizer darts and net guns to capture several animals this week at the park, located west of Seattle. The goats are among the first of an estimated 375 that will be captured, examined and reintroduced to the wild in the North Cascades, located in northern Washington. The Seattle Times reported on early relocation efforts on Thursday. Some of the goats were sedated, loaded into harnesses, dangled from a helicopter, then loaded into a truck. They received care from veterinarians before beginning the journey to their new home.
The relocation project is estimated to leave between 275 and 325 goats in Olympic National Park. Those goats eventually will be shot and killed, according to park "
https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/nation-now/2018/09/13/goats-removed-olympic-national-park-helicopter/1296770002/
Bet it runs into the 100’s of thousands.
Seems silly not to make money by using hunting to remove them.
Oh well, our National Parks love to spend our tax money!
What a waste. Goats are a once in a lifetime deal for most folks.
Zbone's Link
" Although the white-furred, black-horned animals look right at home on the Washington park’s stunning peaks, park officials refer to the mountain goats there as an exotic species, as well as a “nuisance.” They were introduced to the area in the 1920s, officials say, and have since gone on to destroy vegetation and erode soils. What’s more, they’ve become comfortable to the point of dangerous with park visitors, one of whom was fatally gored by a mountain goat in 2010. "
https://www.washingtonpost.com/science/2018/09/15/mountain-goats-are-flying-out-national-park-its-long-story/?noredirect=on&utm_term=.9da60ab24d03
Olympic NP is heavily hiked by hippies and yuppies. It'd be a nightmare doing this with hunters.
