BUSH DESTRUCTION

Taranaki Daily News, 17 June 1932, Page 6

BUSH DESTRUCTION

GOATS ON THE POUAKAIS.

A BUSINESS MAN’S SURPRISE. A New Plymouth business man recently went out with Mr. Upson, a ranger of the Mount Egmont National Park Board, who was engaged in killing goats on the Pouakai ranges. “It was a revelation to me to see what destruction can be wrought by goats,” he said to a News representative. They had cleaned the floor of the forest in whole areas, excepting the supplejacks and certain of the ferns, but all young trees up to six and eight inches in thickness had been levelled. He did not think this possible until he saw the size of the goats, which were bigger than, any he had previously seen. It was as if a surveyor had cleared the way, or like looking down Devon Street, the young bush having been cleared so, The billy goats tore off the bark of the saplings, bit into them, and then forced them down hi order to eat off the young shoots and tops. Their destruction was astounding to one like himself who had never seen evidence of it before.

The ranger that day shot nine of the animals, seven of them males, whilst the dogs got two others. Altogether the dogs put up 16 to 18 goats. “I read in the reports of the board meetings that over 5000 goats have been killed so far. I am of opinion that there are still another 5000 to exterminate,” our informant remarked, “and if they are not soon dealt with it will be a case of good-bye to the beautiful native bush clothing the slopes of Mount Egmont and the conservation of the water that so regularly irrigates the pastures of the province.”