Helicopter Goat Cull Planned at Te Kopahou Reserve

Wellingtonians should avoid the Te Kopahou Reserve – the area between the Brooklyn wind turbine and the South Coast – for a few hours next week while a helicopter goat cull is carried out.


The aerial hunting operation is part of the city's ongoing programme to control wild goats and pigs to protect the environment.

Wellington City Council's Parks and Gardens Manager Paul Andrews says feral goats and pigs damage bush and cause erosion and their numbers rapidly increase if regular control work is not carried out.

"For several years now we have been carrying out occasional ground-based hunting operations in this and a number of other more remote reserve areas around the city with good results, but it is an ongoing battle," he says.

"We are trialling using a helicopter and hunter in this area now because we believe it will be a more efficient, cost-effective option given the reserve's large size and steep and rugged terrain. The goats that remain are widely dispersed and difficult to see and get to on foot."

The work is expected to happen on Wednesday 26 March, 7.00am to 9.00am, with a second short sweep planned later in the morning.

The reserve will be closed for the duration of the operation and for safety reasons people should make sure they avoid the area. Staff will be at the three major entrances during the operation and warning signs will be updated if the proposed date or times change due to weather conditions.

Mr Andrews says goats destroy regenerating native bush by eating everything they can reach by standing on their hind legs. This causes erosion, undermines revegetation efforts and in some areas, results in damage to private gardens.

Goats cannot effectively be controlled by poisoning, and given the numbers of goats, trapping is not an option as it is very costly and time-consuming.