Wild Goats and Donkeys by Kona (Honolulu: contractors, live, airplanes)
Big IslandThe Island of Hawaii
Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
There are periodic roundups organized when the numbers get out of control. Sharpshooters in the National Park are known to have shot hundreds in a day. The problem is that they never get them all, and then the goats they miss breed very rapidly and the population bounces back quickly.
There is a huge problem, seemingly almost-global, with feral hogs. In Texas, they shoot them from small helicopters renting out the shooting seat for $500 a "session". Videos are all over YouTube. Seems like a great Gig, because both the landowner and the shooter pay you. "Have Helicopter - Will Travel".
Perhaps the same technique could be used with the goats.
In the Caribbean, there is a massive problem with Lionfish, a species native to the Pacific, wreaking havoc with the native reef fish, since they are vooracious, and have no natural predators, and have poisonous spines.
Control by diver is, seemingly, the only way, and they have organized Lionfish Rodeo's. Actually, the fish are quite a culinary item, so there is market, as well as conservation, pressure brought to bear.
I find it hard to believe the goats are as much as a problem by the Kona airport as feral hogs and they need to be shot - it is barely a habitable area and nobody lives there which is why I posted to begin with - as in - what do they drink/eat as it is mostly lava.
Well, the goats don't always stay on the lava, the go along the sides of the road and eat the grasses and go across the road to the watering holes and they have been increasing in numbers. No natural predators, although a feral pig would eat the young goats if it could catch them, one would think. Although the pigs generally seem to be in areas with much more vegetation. Dogs don't really predate on the goats, so there's nothing really to keep their numbers in check. There didn't use to be so many of them so the numbers are increasing.
I suppose, they'd eat all the browse on the lava and then starve to death or have much fewer offspring, that might keep their numbers in check. There isn't a lot of rainfall in the area so not much grows on the lava and what little grows gets eaten pretty quickly which is part of what keeps it lava for so long in that area. In areas of higher rainfall, the lava gets things growing on it much quicker.
We may be seeing the goats on the lava since population pressure has pushed some of them off into the areas of less vegetation. Once they start going into people's yards and eating the landscaping of fancy houses, then they will be rounded up, no doubt.
It's pretty strange, though, one doesn't see wild/feral goats in the Hamakua area, that's pretty much feral pig habitat. If I were a goat, I'd much rather live somewhere other than on the lava. Maybe they stay on the lava since that keeps things from chasing them. They don't have tusks like boar and they aren't that big. They do have some small horns, but they don't seem as ferocious as pigs, they may need the lava as protection.
I find it hard to believe the goats are as much as a problem by the Kona airport as feral hogs and they need to be shot - it is barely a habitable area and nobody lives there which is why I posted to begin with - as in - what do they drink/eat as it is mostly lava.
It's very possible that the area would not be quite as inhospitable without the presence of goats. If plants are slow growing and there are a lot of goats, the area is probably kept stripped down to the bare rock instead of plants having a chance to grow. Even deserts have a lot of plant life, but not if it is grubbed up the second it shows its head.
It's very possible that the area would not be quite as inhospitable without the presence of goats. .
Goats or no goats the area is like landing on Mars. Lava, lava, and more lava. If you've ever been to Kona you'd realize it is inhospitable regardless of goats. No houses. Nothing. The combo of lava and lack of rain makes it nearly impossible to grow anything.
Goats or no goats the area is like landing on Mars. Lava, lava, and more lava. If you've ever been to Kona you'd realize it is inhospitable regardless of goats. No houses. Nothing. The combo of lava and lack of rain makes it nearly impossible to grow anything.
That is why there are wells, so that the Gold Coast is a grand destination to visit, and beautiful place to live
Wasn't the first of those resorts built out there as sort of as a show off piece to the builder's dad? Chris & George? And then the rest just sort of filled in? It was sort of a big chunk of desolation which is why it makes a great place for an airport. I think it's all zoned "agriculture", too. Bwahahahah!
I'm always amazed that they are putting such expensive architecture over there. Fresh black lava to me means that there is a likelihood of more fresh black lava to show up sometime later, but I guess they aren't worried.
"A federal court order is allowing Hawaii officials to resume aerial hunting of feral sheep and goats in an effort to protect a critically endangered bird found only in certain parts of Mauna Kea."
Please register to post and access all features of our very popular forum. It is free and quick. Over $68,000 in prizes has already been given out to active posters on our forum. Additional giveaways are planned.
Detailed information about all U.S. cities, counties, and zip codes on our site: City-data.com.
Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
