Status
Conservation status
Year | Population | Breeding male | Breeding female | Females registered in herd books |
2017 | min 25, max 30 | 8 | 12 | 12 |
First reported in the wild
Pre-historic introduction
Invasiveness
Invasive species - risk of Medium Impact
Irish status
Established
Introduction pathways - 1
Escape from Confinement
Introduction pathways subclass - 1
Agriculture
Invasive score
14
NAPRA Ireland risk assessed
No
Species Biology
Identification
Feral goats are long-haired ungulates (hooved mammals) and extremely variable in colour ranging from white, grey, brown, black or mixtures of various colours (Bullock, 2008; Rooney & Hayden, 2002). Distinguished from sheep by the presence of a beard in both sexes (Bullock, 2008). Horns grow continously, not shed as in deer, which grow backwards and then outwards in a curve (Bullock, 2008).
Show strong sexual dimorphism (males larger than females) with males weighing from 40 to 75kg and 60-75cm tall (shoulder height) with females weighing from 30 to 60kg, and 50-75cm tall (Bullock, 2008; Rooney & Hayden, 2002).
Diet
Adapted to season and local conditions , goats graze less than cattle or sheep with browse material from trees comprising an important part of the diet in winter and grasses, sedges and rushes dominating in summer (Bullock, 2008).
Ecology
Goats have a selective but versatile diet and impact on forestry plantations, semi-natural woodlands and may overgraze sensitive or ecologically important areas, similar to domestic animals (Bullock, 2008; Rooney & Hayden, 2002). Main impacts of feral goats as invasive species has been their introduction to islands lacking large herbivores where they have community level impacts on biodiversity, as well as affecting endemic plants (see Campbell & Donlan, 2005 for a more thorough review). In Ireland their impact has not been assessed though they are used to control invasive plant species in areas such as the Burren, as they are more effective than domestic stock (Rooney & Hayden, 2002).
Reproduction
Polygynous mating system, rutting begins in autumn with single kids generally (twinning may be under estimated due to high infant mortality) born in spring after a gestation period of approximately 150 days (Bullock, 2008).
Pathway and vector description
Feral goats are descend from domestic goats which in turn are descended from the bezoar of western Asia (C. aegagrus), which was domesticated at some point approximately 9000 years ago (Bullock, 2008; Rooney & Hayden, 2002). The first records of goats in the British Isles are 4,500 years old from Wiltshire in England but an exact date of arrival in Ireland is unknown (Rooney & Hayden, 2002).
Mechanism of impact
Grazing/Herbivory/Browsing, Rooting/Digging, Trampling
Broad environment
Terrestrial
Habitat description
In Ireland feral goats are traditionally associated with well drained or rocky upland areas, with iconic populations associated with particular areas such as the Burren in Co Clare and Glendalough in Co Wicklow.
Species group
Vertebrate
Native region
Temperate Asia
Distribution
World distribution(GBIF)
Irish distribution
Established - Widespread & Locally abundant. No population estimate for the species is available, though population densities of 14 animals per km2 have been recorded in the Burren, Co Clare (Rooney & Hayden, 2002). In the 1997 breeding season there were 207 (128 females and 79 males) in the Glendalough population (Saunders et al., 2008), which is at odds with other estimates of less than 300 nationally other than a population of 2000+ individuals in the Burren for the period 1990-1999 (Bullock, 2008).
Temporal change
Date of first record category
Pre-1900
Fifty year date category
Pre-1500
Records submitted to Data Centre in 2024
The following map is interactive. If you would prefer to view it full screen then click here.
How can you help
Report any sightings of feral goats (longer haired, smaller and lighter than domestic goats) to the National Biodiversity Data Centre.
Further information
Invasive Species Specialist Group (ISSG) of the SSC- Species Survival Commission of the IUCN -International Union for Conservation Nature consider the goat one of the 100 Worst Invaders globally.
References
Publications
Bullock, D.J. (2008) Genus Capra Feral goat Capra hircus In: Mammals of the British Isles: Handbook, 4th edition (eds) Harris, S. & Yalden, D.W., The Mammal Society, Southampton.
Campbell, K. and Donlan, C., (2005). Feral goat eradications on islands. Conservation Biology, 19(5), pp.1362-1374.
Marnell, F., Looney, D. & Lawton, C. (2019) Ireland Red List No. 12: Terrestrial Mammals. National
Parks and Wildlife Service, Department of the Culture, Heritage and the Gaeltacht, Dublin, Ireland.
Rooney, S. & Hayden, T. (2002) Forest Mammals – Management and Control. A report for COFORD, National Council for Forest Research and Development, Dublin.