Effect of vegetation composition and hunting on habitat selection by feral goats

Feral goats are a continuing threat to conservation values in New Zealand. First introduced in 1773 feral goats have spread to occupy many areas of public conservation land. Organised control of feral goats by private landholders began in the early 1900s, but it was not until the mid 1930s that organised government control began. From the 1960s onwards substantial changes are evident in the philosophy governing the control of introduced herbivores in New Zealand, changes that have marked a move away from emphasising the pests per se to focusing upon the resource under threat