MENACE OF GOATS

Taranaki Daily News, 22 August 1931, Page 14

MENACE OF GOATS

TOTAL OF 4581 DESTROYED EGMONT NATIONAL RESERVE REGENERATION OF FOREST. Good progress in coping with- the goat menace in the Egmont National Park was reported at a meeting of the board yesterday. It was stated that in the past three years a total of 4531 goats had been destroyed. The ranger (Mr. R. AV. Larsen) re-1 ported that a general survey of the district had now been completed, and he was able to report that the goats were now not nearly so numerous as formerly. The country covered was between tne Waiwakaiho River and the Stony River. There , were still quite a number of goats on the Pouakai Ranges, but the thickest of them- had been shot out, and he was convinced that they had the goat probleip well in hand. If they could only get another two seasons at the goats, there would be very few goats left on Mt. Egmont. The total number of goats destroyed in the park avas 4581. The Kaitakes were gone over towards the close of the season and 42 goafs were shot there. This showed that this area had. to be gone over at least once a year if the goats were to be kept in check. This was to be regretted, but he was sure that goats worked in from . neighbouring farms in the winter time. This, of course, they could not stop, but it would mean an expense to the board if goats were allowed to wander indiscriminately into the park. The regeneration of the forest on the country which was first cleared of goats was wonderful. A very thick mat of undergrowth was developing and was anything up to 2ft in height, and the astelea, of which the goats were very fond, and which was eaten to the roots, had thrown up new growth and was growing well./ Of course, there were still bare places in the bush where it had been' trampled hard by goats, ‘but even these had plants shooting up here and there, where seeds were findin" a place to germinate. The nothapanax, which •were severely barked by the goats, were dead, and at present were rotting, but would be gradually replaced by undergrowth that was springing up. In his monthly report on June ranging, Mr. Larsen stated that the number of° goats shot this season was 980. To date, he had carried out the ranging fairly extensively and quite a number of wild cattle had been disposed of. The places where wild, cattle had 'been shot were as follows: —Dudley Road, about a mile in from the' radius line, and 'Palmer Road, about a mile from the radius line, also Durham Road, two miles from the radius line.' He had got his own cattle dog and had no difficulty in rounding up cattle in the bush. So far he had not had any trouble with opossum poachers, but it was still early in the season for these as they had not yet completed trapping the areas of bush outside the reserve. Later on, of course, there might be trouble. In answer to Mr. G. J. Bayley, the chairman explained that the 4cBl goats had been destroyed during the past three years. On the Kaitakes, he continued, the goats were still returning, and on Tuesday he had seen the remains of five which had been shot by an honorary ranger in Lucy’s Gully, and which had been destroying some of the exotic trees they had planted last year. In other parts of the Kaitakes the results hoped for were not being obtained. The goats had come •back from the main ranges and were spoiling the regeneration of . the floor of the forest. The board must wage constant warfare on the goats to preserve the forest flora. The numbers of goats already destroyed were an indication of what they had to contend with. The suitability of keeping goats on farms to keep down blackberry was discussed. z The chairman remarked that tlie farms bordering the reserve had simply to jump over the fence into the reserve, which they did in preference to eating blackberry. I Mr. P. Thomson suggested that if the farmers around the National Park kept goats a “poll tax" on the goats should be charged. It simply meant that the goats were breeding all the time, escaping into, and devastating the forest. The ranger had done good work in keeping cattle out of the reserve, said the chairman, and farmers adjoining the radius line were~Tre»y co-operating with the board in keeping 'out their cattle. In reply to Mr. Thomson, the chairman said that he had received word on May 26 of Cabinet’s decision to cancel the grant for the destruction of goats in the park. He had written the Minister for Lands’, and pointed out that it was absolutely necessary for the board to have the assistance if they were to cope with the menace. Subsequently he had seen the Minister and the Hon. R. Masters, with the result that the grant had been reinstated and the men been - sent back on the job. Of £175, 'between £BO and £9O was available at the beginning of June. - Both Ministers now realised the board was doing valuable national work. i Mr. W. D. Armit said the amount available would not carry the board very far.