Mountain Goat Airlift Project Continues in Olympic NP

Mountain goats aren't native to Olympic National Park, yet they live there in large numbers. Mountain goats are native to the North Cascades, but their populations there have been depleted, according to the National Park Service. Over the past few years, the NPS has pursued an ambitious plan intended to solve both issues by moving non-native Olympic National Park goats to their depleted range in the North Cascades. This all sounds very logical and boring, but the plan's implementation is far from boring. 

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Per the Park Service's plan, the wild goats are captured using tranquilizer darts or net guns, placed in a specially-designed sling attached to a helicopter, and stored in crates. The crates are transported to the North Cascades in refrigerated trucks, and then flown up into the mountains, where the goats are released in their native habitat. 

Mountain goats can be quite aggressive. A 63-year-old man was killed by one while hiking in Olympic National Park in 2010, an incident which highlighted the goat issue and spurred agencies responsible for wildlife management into action.