Thursday, December 17, 2015

Best Way to Move Mountain Goats

How do you move a mountain goat nearly a hundred miles? With a helicopter.

Mountain goats were introduced to Utah in the late 1960s, and since the initial release of six goats, their population has increased to more than 2,000. When a group gets too large for its range, the Utah Division of Wildlife Resources captures and moves some of the goats to other populations throughout the state. The best way to capture the goats is to shoot them with a net gun, strap them in a harness, and then move them by helicopter. The process is mostly harmless to the goats, though they may suffer small cuts when tangled in the net. Netting is safer for the goats than using tranquilizers, as a partially tranquilized goat could be hurt even more. A veterinarian is on hand to make sure they're healthy and safe before being released.

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