‘Aggressive’ mountain goats prompt camping, boating warning in eastern Oregon

“Aggressive”

mountain goats

injured a dog after approaching a family’s campsite near the Grande Ronde River in northeastern Oregon, prompting a warning from wildlife officials to remain alert and keep distance

from the animals.

The family was camping between Meadow Creek and Alder Creek when two mountain goats approached, said Holly Tuers Lance, a district wildlife biologist with the Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife who responded to the report.

The family’s dog suffered a puncture wound on one of its legs when it appears the family let it off leash to try to shoo the female goats, known as nannies, away from their site, Tuers Lance said. One of the goats likely gored the dog, she said.

The Oregon-Washington office of the U.S. Bureau of Land Management last week posted a

Facebook

warning for boaters and campers on the Grande Ronde about “two aggressive nannies,” but Tuers Lance said the goats’ behavior was probably more defensive.

Goats and other ungulates such as sheep and elk give birth to babies during the springtime and many are rearing their young this time of year, Tuers Lance said. It’s likely that the family’s campsite was somewhere between the nannies and their young and the goats were trying to make their way to — and protect — their babies, she said.

Tuers Lance cautioned people to leash their pets around wildlife and offered other safety tips for encounters with mountain goats or other ungulates.

“Give the goats lots and lots of space,” she said. It’s common to spot goats, sheep and elk along the Grande Ronde, she said, but hikers, campers and boaters shouldn’t feed or approach them.

She recommended staying at least 50 yards away. Campers should also urinate in rivers or at least 50 yards away from trails or campsites. An accumulation of urine can create a saltlick that attracts wildlife, she said.

If a mountain goat approaches or displays aggressive behavior, it’s best to slowly back away while keeping your eyes on the goat, Tuers Lance said. If it continues approaching, try to scare it off by yelling, raising your arms or throwing sticks or small stones.

“It’s better if you just leave them alone,” she said. “And they’ll leave you alone.”

The Bureau of Land Management encouraged people to report aggressive wildlife encounters to the state Fish and Wildlife Department at 541-426-3279.