Arapawa Island goat
Encyclopedia
The Arapawa Goat is a breed of feral goat
descended from Old English milch goat
s released on Arapawa Island
off the coast of New Zealand
. It is directly descended from a breed of English landrace
goat which no longer exists in its native England
. Extremely rare today, a few have been exported to North America and other regions.
The Arapawa Goat is a delightful breed which happily settles down with other breeds of goat when kept in captivity. In 2004 six goats were brought from Arapawa Island to the UK to preserve the bloodline.
By the dedication of Betty Rowe the goats of Arapawa Island were preserved when the New Zealand Government wished to cull them entirely. Through direct action the goat still survives today but annually there is a cull. Many goats live in the Sanctuary set up on the island.
From the original six goats brought to the UK there are now herds being built up around the country. In 2009 the first Arapawa Goat doe was brought to Mid Wales and in 2010 the first Arapawa buck arrived. It is hoped that in 2011 the first Welsh Arapawa will be born.
Feral goat
The feral goat is the domestic goat when it has become established in the wild. Feral goats occur in Australia, New Zealand, Ireland, Great Britain, Hawaii, the Galapagos and in many other parts of the world...
descended from Old English milch goat
Goat
The domestic goat is a subspecies of goat domesticated from the wild goat of southwest Asia and Eastern Europe. The goat is a member of the Bovidae family and is closely related to the sheep as both are in the goat-antelope subfamily Caprinae. There are over three hundred distinct breeds of...
s released on Arapawa Island
Arapawa Island
Arapawa Island is a small island located in the Marlborough Sounds, at the north east tip of the South Island of New Zealand.The island has a land area of...
off the coast of New Zealand
New Zealand
New Zealand is an island country in the south-western Pacific Ocean comprising two main landmasses and numerous smaller islands. The country is situated some east of Australia across the Tasman Sea, and roughly south of the Pacific island nations of New Caledonia, Fiji, and Tonga...
. It is directly descended from a breed of English landrace
Landrace
A landrace is a local variety of a domesticated animal or plant species which has developed largely by natural processes, by adaptation to the natural and cultural environment in which it lives. It differs from a formal breed which has been bred deliberately to conform to a particular standard...
goat which no longer exists in its native England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
. Extremely rare today, a few have been exported to North America and other regions.
The Arapawa Goat is a delightful breed which happily settles down with other breeds of goat when kept in captivity. In 2004 six goats were brought from Arapawa Island to the UK to preserve the bloodline.
By the dedication of Betty Rowe the goats of Arapawa Island were preserved when the New Zealand Government wished to cull them entirely. Through direct action the goat still survives today but annually there is a cull. Many goats live in the Sanctuary set up on the island.
From the original six goats brought to the UK there are now herds being built up around the country. In 2009 the first Arapawa Goat doe was brought to Mid Wales and in 2010 the first Arapawa buck arrived. It is hoped that in 2011 the first Welsh Arapawa will be born.