Grand Teton helicopter goat shoot fells 50 invasive animals

JACKSON, Wyo. (AP) — Contractors hired by Grand Teton National Park have killed 50 invasive mountain goats this week in a campaign to protect the park’s herd of native bighorn sheep. The Jackson Hole News&Guide reports that an overwhelming majority of the goats have been eradicated from the Teton Range. The helicopter shooting operation will continue for several more days. The goats migrated from Idaho into the Tetons and are considered a risk to a small herd of native, isolated sheep in the range because they compete for limited high-altitude habitat and carry disease that can threaten the bighorns. The park estimates the bighorn population at about 125.