Wild populations of feral goats have become established by goats that have either escaped or been released from domestic herds on farms. Although there are dozens of other countries that have a larger population of goats, Australia exports more goat meat than any other country. 1080 occurs naturally in native pea bushes in Western Australia. In the 1920s the industry began to collapse and the people of Australia started releasing the goats into the wild (Parkes,1996). impacts of feral goats in Australia. Goats arrived in Australia with the First Fleet in 1788. When prices or feral goat densities are low, little control occurs. Baiting of feral animals such as foxes, pigs and rabbits is usually done using the poison known as 1080. It competes with native fauna and causes land degradation, threatening plant and animal species and ecological communities. It then outlines some cost of control models that predict the cost of controlling goats at different densities using aerial shooting in inaccessible terrain in the semi-arid rangelands of Australia. Malaysia is usually imports the highest number of live goats from Australia, and the U.S. imports more than half of all Australian goat meat exports. History Goats arrived in Australia with the First Fleet in 1788. To protect the environment, feral goat… communities. In Australia, the most significant driver of mammal extinctions has been predation by feral cats and foxes. As they were small and hardy, ate a range The present feral goat populations are descendants from animals introduced for a variety of reasons since 1788. Compounded by inappropriate fire regimes, these feral predators continue to pose a major threat to dozens of surviving mammal species. When prices are good, feral goats are harvested. Feral goats were introduced to Australia between 1788-1900s for a variety of reasons including the production of fibers for clothing and weed control in plantation forests. Effectively managing feral goats for agricultural or conservation benefit must be ongoing and cannot rely on market forces. The feral goat can be an agricultural pest but also has commercial value and is harvested for its meat. The feral goat can be an agricultural pest but also has commercial value and is harvested for its meat. Feral goat control is often influenced by market forces. Yard traps are commonly used for catching feral goats for live transport to markets in Australia and overseas. They were a convenient livestock animal for early European settlers, being relatively small, eating a wide range of plants and providing both meat and milk. Goats are not native to Australia. Australia. 18th Vertebr. They were introduced to New South Wales as domestic livestock from the time of European settlement and many more have been imported since then. To protect the environment, feral goat control programs are best undertaken in areas of high conservation value. The feral goat has established populations in a variety of habitats across Australia. KEYWORDS: Copra hircus, feral goat, aerial shooting, cost of control, Australia Proc. They are present across much of Australia and are particularly prevalent in western New …