Goats

The Judas goat is put into the cage for transport to the drop-off site
The dropoff site is located on a map for the pilot
The cage is attached to the helicopter by rope
The helicopter carefully lifts the cage off the ground
The helicopter heads away to the dropoff point at the north of the island

Great Barrier Island is free of the devastating pests that infest most of the mainland. There are no possums, stoats, ferrets, weasels hedgehogs, or deer. Feral goats, cats and pigs are the main pests on the island.

Recent efforts to capture the goats have been made through the use of Judas goats. DoC staff have captured live feral goats and put transmitters on them. These goats are then released and the DoC rangers are able to track the goats. As they move through the bush they will try to become part of a group. These goats lead the rangers to other goats so they can be eradicated.

The goat project is all but finished for this year. Nigel one of the DoC rangers on the island reported that they haven't found any wild goats with their Judas goats. This means that this year's contract blocks are 100 % goat free.

The DoC programme of eradication is to work on a rolling front of eradication from north to south. Hopefully in another three years there will be no feral goats on Great Barrier Island.