Relocating Mountain Goats, I Feel Sorry For These Guys

SeaBreeze

Endlessly Groovin'
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USA

  • Mountain goats from British Columbia and Alaska were moved to the Cascade Mountains by a hunting group in the 1920s, and they began multiplying exponentially, increasing from the original 12 to thousands by the 1980s
  • A controversy between state officials and environmentalists surrounded the presence of the animals, which escalated exponentially after a deadly incident at Olympic State Park in 2010
  • Both male and female mountain goats, weighing 180 and 155 pounds, respectively, sport horns, and their potential for aggression is high, especially as they attempt to satisfy their craving for minerals and salt
  • While typically docile, that mineral craving can pose a security threat for hikers, even when they stay on the trail (and some don’t), and the park alone encompasses 1,442 square miles
  • Of the approximate 700 mountain goats located on the Olympic Peninsula, only half will ultimately be relocated to their native habitat; 11 of them made up the first wave, transported by helicopter, crate, truck and ferry





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