Wild Goats on Hawaii Island

It's become somewhat of a family tradition to go to Hawaii in the summer, so there are some things that I'm always looking forward to ticking off my list when I'm there. One is: spot the wild goats living on Waikoloa King's Course and the highway.

Goats were brought to Hawaii Island by Captain Cook in the late 1700s, and it quickly became clear that their existence meant trouble for the native plants. Unlike other animals on the island, such as cats or mongoose, I don't see any humans feeding them. They seem to manage fine on their own, living among the inhospitable-looking lava rock. I've heard that wild pigs live alongside the highway too, but I've never been able to spot them.

It's another story for the goats living on the golf course, though. They have swathes of grass to feast on! Even then, though, the surrounding area has nothing but lava rock.

They seem to make their daily routine walking from one end of the golf course to the other. I like how they move in a big, lazy pack, with babies running up out of nowhere.