Should helicopter snipers kill mountain goats at national park? Activists say no

Several animal rights groups are outraged about Grand Teton National Park’s plan to shoot and kill non-native goats from helicopters and have asked park officials to rethink its plan.

The groups don’t think gunning down the goats in the Wyoming park is OK and have called it “shortsighted” and “a dangerous precedent.”

The Wyoming Game and Fish Commission said the use of aerial gunning is “totally inconsistent with years of GTNP management of big game animals in the GTNP,” according to a resolution.

The commission thinks government officials killing the mountain goats and “leaving them to rot” is unacceptable. Instead, it suggests allowing “skilled volunteers” to harvest the goats.

Wyoming Game and Fish Commission isn’t the only group outraged by the plans. Animal rights groups like People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA) and the Wyoming Wildlife Advocates also want the park to reconsider.

PETA Senior Vice President Lisa Lange told the Idaho State Journal that people placed the goats in the area, and it’s up to them to remove them in non-lethal ways, but only if removal is absolutely necessary. The Wyoming Wildlife Advocates agrees.

“What we need are solutions to wildlife issues that don’t involve killing,” Wyoming Wildlife Advocates said on Facebook. “These goats are an invasive species that was introduced south of the Tetons for hunting purposes only. The fact that they have migrated naturally isn’t their fault and shouldn’t result in the death penalty. Individual animals matter.”

Why are the goats a problem?

The goats could be hurting native species and the land.

Grand Teton National Park officials think removing the goats is absolutely necessary to protect the park and the Teton Range’s herd of about 100 native bighorn sheep.

“Mountain goats are not native to Grand Teton National Park,” the park said. “Mountain goats threaten the native Teton Range bighorn sheep herd through increased risk of pathogen transmission and potential for competition.”

There are about 100 mountain goats in the park, but officials say that without management, the population will keep growing and become a bigger problem.

Because it is seen as a relatively urgent problem, the park has no intention to cancel its plans and it will continue once the weather allows, according to the Idaho State Journal.

”We do have other tools to remove the goats both lethally and non-lethally and we intend to use the right tools at the right time in light of safety for participants, for park visitors and wildlife,” park spokeswoman Denise Germann told the Idaho State Journal. “Wyoming Game and Fish is an important part of Grand Teton National Park and I believe both agencies have the same goal, which is to protect the Teton Range bighorn sheep.”

This story was originally published January 21, 2020 at 2:17 PM with the headline "Should helicopter snipers kill mountain goats at national park? Activists say no."