San Clemente Island goat
The San Clemente Island goat is a type of domestic goat derived from feral goats isolated on San Clemente Island, one of the Channel Islands of California.
History
The long-isolated feral goats of the Channel Islands, including the San Clemente Island goat and the Santa Catalina Island goat are thought to be descendants of goats brought to the islands by Spanish missionaries and settlers; breeds such as la Blanca Celtiboras, la Castellana Extremenas, and later the more common dairy and meat goats of Spain, the Malaguenas and Murciana goats. They first arrived on San Clemente from Santa Catalina Island, in 1875, and there they remained feral until the United States Navy, which was under a directive to preserve the endangered flora and fauna of the island that were threatened by the grazing of nonendemic species, sought their removal. After initial trapping and hunting failed to eliminate the goats, the Navy began a shooting program to exterminate them. This was blocked in court by the Fund for Animals, which asserted the goats did not hurt any endangered species, and thought the Navy was using this claim as an excuse. This was incorrect, as the threatened and endangered species of plants were already federally listed and protected by the Endangered Species Act.Goats were put up for adoption on the mainland by the Clapp family and by the Fund for Animals. The U.S. Navy was given the right to exterminate the remaining goats, and the last goat on San Clemente Island was killed in April, 1991.