San clemente island goats

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The San Clemente Island Goat is one of the rarest goat breeds in the world, with less than 2,000 known to be in existence today. Their history is a storied one, and the information below is compiled from The Livestock Conservancy  the San Clemente Island Goat Foundation, The Land, and other sources. 

San Clemente Island is located 68 miles off the coast of San Diego, California. It is about 57 square miles in size (about 36,480 acres).  It is currently owned by the US government, used and managed by the US Navy. In 1875, goats were introduced from nearby Santa Catalina Island by Salvador Ramirez.  It is thought that goats were originally introduced to Santa Catalina Island by Spanish missionaries around 1827. 

Over time, the population of goats on San Clemente Island increased to about 15,000 in 1972. The US Navy began a removal program, reducing the goat population to about 4,000 in 1980. At that time, the Navy began a shooting program conducted from helicopters to attempt to eliminate the goat population. The animal welfare group Fund for Animals then had this program blocked in court. Under court decision, goat trappers were brought in to trap and remove the remaining goats from the island.  Goats were transported in barges to the mainland. The Fund for Animals placed some with new owners, under agreements these goats would not be bred. Other goats were taken from the barges direct to individuals and farms. The last 1,200 goats were removed in October of 1980. 

 In 2007, The Livestock Conservancy collaborated with the University of Cordoba in Spain to conduct a DNA study of the San Clemente Island goat breed. Their findings indicate the San Clemente Island goat is a genetically distinct breed, unrelated to other goat breeds including Spanish goats. Because of these findings, the San Clemente Island goat was placed on the Livestock Conservancy's Conservation Priority list, where it remains today at critical level. 

Dr. Phil Sponenberg, Professor of Pathology and Genetics at the University of Maryland, and technical advisor to the Livestock Conservancy, was a key contributor to this research. His interpretation of the research indicate that San Clemente Island goats are of Iberian origin, with great genetic drift from their ancestors. Because of this distinctness, they need to be conserved as a separate breed. 

Photo Description: Goats on Catalina Island

Photo Credit: Security Pacific National Bank Collection, Los Angeles Public Library, photo undated.