From The Seattle Times:
Officials moved nearly 100 mountain goats from the Olympics last summer. How are they doing now?
Blindfolded, sedated mountain goats will soar over the Olympic Peninsula once again.
Beginning next week, a helicopter crew will capture mountain goats in Olympic National Park and the adjacent national forest. Captured animals will be taken across Puget Sound by refrigerator truck and released in the North Cascades mountain range.
The operation, now in its second year, is part of an ambitious, logistically complicated project that aims to correct historical wildlife-management mistakes, to eradicate mountain goats in a range where they’re not welcome and boost their numbers in another.
More than 100 goats were captured last summer and moved. Between 65 and 70 animals survived the winter, estimated Rich Harris, the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife biologist leading the agency’s work to translocate goats. Five of 10 relocated kid goats survived, he said.
This summer, helicopters crews will again use net guns and immobilizing darts to down goats from the air, then sling them beneath the aircraft and fly them to a staging area, where the animals receive veterinary attention before traveling.
More at the site - here is a photo by Ramon Dompor / The Seattle Times:
Had goats when I was farming. Fun animals. I love the babies - talk about cute.
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