Goat appearance in Death Valley is a mystery, and a big concern
Where did it come from? That is the mystery surrounding the appearance of a feral goat in Death Valley National Park, a place where it doesn’t belong.
A tourist photographed the animal and notified rangers of its existence in a canyon near Stovepipe Wells, park officials reported Wednesday on Facebook.
“Missing your goat? We aren’t kidding,” the post stated. “Although it may make for a seemingly fun surprise to see a goat in Death Valley, domestic goats are a known vector of a respiratory disease that is fatal to bighorn sheep.
“A feral goat that was released in the Mojave Preserve in 2013 was suspected of triggering the subsequent large-scale sheep die-off that extended into surrounding bighorn populations.
“Death Valley National Park wildlife managers in consultation with California Department of Fish and Wildlife are now working to capture and remove the goat before it can potentially spread any disease to the native species.”
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Park officials reminded the public that turning a domestic animal loose in a national park can be devastating to the local wildlife populations, and directed people to check out the Don’t Let It Loose website.
“For the health of your pet, and the safety of our native wildlife, it’s never OK to release animals,” the website states. “Most pets released to the wild do not survive, and many suffer before they die…If it does survive, your pet becomes an invasive species that native wildlife may not have the defenses to compete again. Invasive species cause harm to the environment and the economy.”
A few people on the park’s Facebook post speculated as to how the feral goat got into Death Valley.
“Some people use goats for packing when out hiking,” one commenter noted. “Maybe the owner is lost? This is a nice-looking goat, I doubt someone left him. Hopefully [it] just ran away from a local farm. If a farmer does not show, maybe look for a hiker.”
“This is horrible and heartbreaking,” another wrote. “Unfortunate and unacceptable if this beautiful goat was dumped there. I would not be surprised if that is the case. Hopefully this goat will go to a rescue group when captured.”
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One commenter asked if the park thinks the goat wandered in from Owens Valley or Nevada, or if it was released. An official from Death Valley answered, “It is possible it walked this far on its own, but we suspect it was released. It likely would have been discovered farther west if it walked in.”
Releasing domesticated animals into the wild is illegal, not to mention unethical. Contact the California Department of Fish and Wildlife or Death Valley National Park if you have any information about this mysterious goat.
Photos of goat and bighorn sheep in Death Valley courtesy of Death Valley National Park.