Goats are one of the most destructive introduced species because of their ability to adapt to hostile environments. They are mainly herbivores and feed on many types of plants. They even feed on the bark of trees, thereby altering the habitat of native and endemic animals that inhabit the Galapagos Islands.

Goats are not native to the Galapagos Islands. They were left by the whaling fleets centuries ago and introduced later by twentieth century settlers as a way to ensure fresh meat.

Goats do not need to drink water to survive. They hydrate their bodies with water from the plants they eat, and therefore can survive in areas without surface water, as is the case in almost all of the Galapagos. It is even known that, especially during dry seasons, they can drink salt water with apparently few ill effects.

Damages to the environment of the islands

The impact of feral goats in the Galapagos is well documented.

	DEVASTATING EFFECTS » The impact of goats in the Galapagos Without a sustained effort for constant monitoring and eradication, the impact of goats on the Galapagos ecosystems would be devastating.

Large flocks of goats can move across the steep volcanic slopes in all directions, thus removing the protective vegetation cover. This precious soil, which took hundreds of thousands of years to form, can be lost in just decades while being swept by rains.

On the other hand, goats are more agile and versatile than tortoises, which are gradually being displaced from their feeding sites. It is likely that other animals (birds, reptiles, and insects) will suffer the same fate.

Without the control and eradication efforts, the presence of goats would wipe out biodiversity which would lead to the extinction of several species of plants and animals, leaving the original ecosystems with very little potential for recovery.

Damages to the local economy

The world perceives the Galapagos as one of the last refuges of wildlife on the planet. It is believed that wildlife on the Galapagos is protected from danger and for this reason more than 1,700,000 tourists visited the Islands between 1979 and 2009.

In the late 90s, the news of the damage that wild goats caused was broadcast around the world. Images of goats displacing giant tortoises threatened to turn the Galapagos into one more destroyed environment in the world, and therefore without any special incentive for visiting the Islands.

The benefits of the eradication of goats for the local economy are indeed incalculable. By avoiding the destruction of the natural environment, it ensures the continued interest of tourists in visiting the Islands.

Eradication strategies

The experience gained during these recent years involving the eradication of goats on the Galapagos Islands has led to the identification of three phases in this process:

	THE ISABELA PROJECT » History of success Between 1998 and 2006 the most notorious eradication operation in the Galapagos was conducted, becoming an example of conservation worldwide.

AERIAL HUNTING

When the density of the goats is high, hunting from a helicopter is very effective for rapidly reducing the total number of goats.

HUNTING BY LAND

The goats are hunted from land by hunting groups, with the aid of specially trained dogs. Dogs used in this phase are trained and cared for in a breeding center, where the dogs are trained, evaluated, and qualified to be hunters.

"JUDAS" GOATS

Once the number of goats has been significantly reduced the "judas goat" technique is used, in which sterilized goats with locator collars are released to show the location of the remaining wild goats. 

Achievements and goals

In the year 2006 the Isabela Project was declared a success, with the total eradication of goats from the north of the island, thus becoming a reference project worldwide due to its success and effectiveness.

The Isabela Project was not, however, the first project for the eradication of goats. The eradication of goats had been achieved on other islands, but the project determined the techniques to be used from then onwards.

Beginning in 2004, hunting with the support of helicopters, for example, was implemented. This innovation was implemented on the islands of Santiago, Isabela, and Floreana.

	» View results  of eradication

Currently the goat eradication program on Isabela and Santiago Islands is in the final phase of monitoring through the use of "judas goats". The idea is to remove any possible remaining individuals who are associated with the "judas goats". It is expected that during 2009 all the goats that were released with radio collars will be removed.

In late 2006 a program for the eradication of goats and donkeys on Floreana was begun. On this island the same methodology used previously on Santiago and Isabela Islands is being applied. Also since the end of 2006 the process of goat eradication from the islands of San Cristóbal and Santa Cruz is taking place.

GOAT ERADICATION IN GALAPAGOS PER YEAR .

ISLAND	SURFACE (ha)	GOAT	ERADICATION YEAR.
Plazas Sur	13	5	1961
Santa Fe	2.413	3.005	1971
Rábida	508	14	1975
Española	6.089	3.344	1978
Marchena	12.996	484	1983 y 2002
Pinta	5.910	~ 40.000	2000
Santiago	57.728	~ 85.000	2006
Isabela norte	240.000	~135.000	2006
Baltra	2.537	35	2008
Floreana	17.229	1.334	2008

This program has counted on the support of:

The Charles Darwin Foundation for the Galapagos Islands (CDF) is an international nonprofit research organization dedicated to providing scientific research, technical assistance and information in order to ensure the success of conservation in Galapagos.