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1. Populations of wild goats that can be referred to as phenotypes of the pasang, or Bezoar goat, or wild goat Capra aegagrus Erxleben, 1777, still occur on several of the Mediterranean and Eastern Atlantic islands. Other populations became extinct not many decades ago. 2. Fossil evidence for the natural spread of the wild goat to any of these islands has not been found. Originating in the Near East, the region of its natural range and its earliest domestication, the species was introduced by humans onto the Mediterranean islands starting as early as the Pre-Pottery Neolithic. 3. The islands of the Eastern Atlantic were colonized artificially by animals of ‘pre-Hispanic’ origin. The principal phenotypes expressed by all these populations of goats can be matched with the characteristics of both C. a. aegagrus Erxleben, 1777 ( aegagrus phenotype) and C. a. dorcas Reichenow, 1888 ( dorcas phenotype). 4. Most of these animals currently survive on the islands without being fed by humans, and should be protected. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Should north Australia’s extensive populations of feral animals be eradicated for conservation, or exploited as a rare opportunity for Indigenous enterprise in remote regions? We examine options for a herd of banteng, a cattle species endangered in its native Asian range but abundant in Garig Gunak Barlu National Park, an Aboriginal land managed jointly by traditional owners and a conservation agency in the Northern Territory of Australia. We reflect on the paradoxes that arise when trying to deal effectively with such complex and contested issues in natural resource management using decision-support tools (ecological-economic models), by identifying the trade-offs inherent in protecting values whilst also providing incomes for Indigenous landowners. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Although feral animal management is often based on the proposition that introduced species threaten ecological and conservation values, that view is not necessarily shared by all stakeholders, including those indigenous people who own and co-manage Kakadu National Park with Australia's federal government. Drawing on field-based interviews with the Jawoyn people, we found that these indigenous people categorize water buffalo ( Bubalus bubalis ) as an important food source (tucker), view horses ( Equus caballus ) as bush pets, and consider pigs ( Sus scrofa ) a threat to their lands. As a result, Jawoyn people want more water buffalo in the park, have high tolerance of environmental damage caused by horses, and are open to the idea that pig population densities should be reduced. Jawoyn also advocate an adaptive and participatory approach to feral animal control so that the consequences of any management actions can be properly understood before irrevocable change occurs. These findings highlight one example of how indigenous people's ecological knowledge has adapted in response to changing landscapes and community aspirations. Co-management strategies that aim to incorporate the dynamics of indigenous people's views need to start with issues on which there is agreement between different groups and take a cautious approach to joint exploration of more contentious issues. That approach should include ongoing and on-site monitoring so that the consequences of management actions can be properly understood and comprehensively negotiated by all parties. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The historical ecology of an area can be best understood from a biocultural perspective in which human social systems and ecosystems are interrelated and interdependent. We utilized such a perspective to investigate the effects of socioeconomic, political, and cultural viewpoints on the intentional introduction of at least 91 game species to Hawai'i over the past 230 years. Historical records of game species introductions and inter-island translocations were described in relation to historical events since European contact (1778). Changes in public opinion toward game shifted according to the prevailing cultural climate of the time, corresponding with historical periods that can be demarcated by five major political events: European contact (1778), the Kingdom of Hawai'i (1819), the Territory of Hawai'i (1898), the end of World War II (1945), and the Endangered Species Act (1973). In Hawai'i, environmental management approaches have been integrated with changing cultural values, and the resultant game management policies have reflected shifting views of game species from valuable food sources to recreational sport to ecological nuisance. Such recognition of the interrelationship between politics, economics, and ecosystems allows us to better utilize past lessons to bring about future change by encouraging resource managers to consider cultural factors when formulating effective present and future ecological management goals. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article offers information on a study done by Sarah Crowley at the Environment and Sustainability Institute of University of Exeter, England on the environmental and social history of the million-plus feral dromedary camels in Australia. Topics discussed include use of the camels as draft and transport animal, negative impacts on native biodiversity by the camels in the country, and establishment of the Australian Feral Camel Management Project (AFCMP).

The article focuses on the result of the Government's consultation regarding the management of feral wild boar in Great Britain. Almost 80 percent of the respondents believe that some form of active management is required. The idea of eradicating the feral wild boar population was support by 43.9 percent of the respondents.

Reports on the views sought by the British Department of Environment, Food and Rural Health Affairs on how feral wild boar should be managed in England. Implications of wild boar for farming, woodlands and parklands and rural economy; Impact of these animals to cause damage to agricultural and horticultural crops, conservation sites; Safety hazard posed caused by road collisions or attacking humans.