Goats were introduced to New Zealand in the early days of European settlement for food, to estabish a commercial fibre industry, and for weed control on developing land. The descendents of those that escaped or were deliberately released thrived in the country’s grass hills, forest and scrubland areas.

Today feral goats (Capra hircus) occur on both main islands and a few offshore islands. Feral goats are classifed as wild animals under the Wild Animal Control Act 1977.