Goats suffer enough

Anyone with a voice should speak out against the latest plan of assault against the mountain goats at Logan Pass. The goats cannot speak for themselves; they will only meekly and humbly accept any treatment that is meted out their way in their wonderfully reserved manner, as they have accepted the ever increasing human intrusion into their habitat.

To put it clearly, I am opposed to any sort of research project that involves darting and tranquilizing, netting, snaring or trapping of these animals. No radio collars. No handling whatsoever.

The goats suffer harsh enough conditions throughout the year without spending their most pleasant season being pursued by “predators” wanting to handle them to do another study. Didn’t this same researcher and the National Park Service learn enough from the 2010 similar attempt at study? We saw the results of it — dead goats.

Might I suggest a great method of study for anyone who wants to monitor the impact of humans on the mountain goats in and around Logan Pass, even good enough for world-renowned wildlife biologist Joel Berger? Read “A Beast the Color of Winter” by Douglas Chadwick and then go out, sit down and watch.

If “the purpose of the study is to understand the effect of the Sun Road and its associated access points on goats,” then the interaction needs only to be observed and not monitored with a radio collar. My opinion is — hands off.

Keith Kratzer

Columbia Falls