San Clemente Island Refugees : New Batch of Goats Awaiting Adoption

The first batch of wild goats captured on San Clemente Island since last Friday arrived in San Diego by barge Thursday morning and were penned up in nearby Ramona to await adoption.

A total of 115 of the black and tan animals, part of the herd that had been earmarked earlier for slaughter by gunfire on the U.S. Navy-owned island, were taken to the Animal Trust Sanctuary in Ramona by members of the Fund for Animals.

Sanctuary operators said that within a few hours half a dozen persons had called to ask about adoption procedures.

Cleveland Amory, president of the fund, said that in all more than 150 goats had been rescued since last week. He said an estimated 450 to 500 still remain on the loose, but that “we have through July 26 to carry on the recovery operation” before the Navy closes the island to public access. Parts of the island, about 60 miles west of San Diego, are used for warship gunnery practice during most of the year.

Earlier this year, Navy spokesman Ken Mitchell said plans were made to kill the goats because biologists warned that they were destroying several species of endangered plants, birds and animals. The Fund for Animals won a “stay of execution” with the help of Secretary of Defense Caspar W. Weinberger, Amory said.

During late February and early March, rescuers firing nets from a low-flying helicopter gathered up 870 goats, all but 100 of which have been adopted by private citizens, Amory said. Those l00, along with the new arrivals, are available for adoption and persons wishing to acquire a goat or goats may telephone the sanctuary at (619) 282-6292.