The Department of the Environment, Rural Affairs and Sports of the Council of Mallorca has approved a resolution prohibiting the feeding or attracting of wild and feral goats in areas frequented by the public, such as viewpoints, car parks, coves and other spaces visited by residents and tourists.
This is a preventive measure to provide an effective and coordinated response to a problem that has worsened in recent years in many areas of the island. The aim is to avoid public health problems and behavioural changes in the animals, while at the same time protecting the Mallorcan wild goat, according to a statement issued by the island’s institution.
On Tuesday, the island’s Minister for the Environment, Rural Affairs and Sports, Pedro Bestard, put up one of the signs informing the public of the measure adopted by the island’s institution. ‘With this resolution, we are making progress in the responsible management of Mallorca’s wildlife, and what we want is to prevent behaviour that, although well-intentioned, can pose risks to people or have negative effects on the animals themselves,’ he said.
Bestard pointed out that feeding the goats alters their natural behaviour, creates dependency, encourages abnormal concentrations of animals and can cause episodes of aggression. ‘With this measure, we want to ensure coexistence between wildlife and people, protect the Mallorcan wild goat and maintain the ecological balance of our natural spaces,’ he said.
This decision responds to a growing problem in Mallorca, caused by the presence of goats that descend from mountainous areas in search of food and water, attracted by gardens, litter bins and green areas in residential and tourist areas. This situation is more frequent in the summer months and generates conflicts between residents and visitors, causes road safety risks and is detrimental to the natural environment and the animals themselves.
The resolution, published on Tuesday in the Official Gazette of the Balearics, also approves an official model of information signage with the message “Prohibit alimentar les cabres / Prohibido alimentar a las cabras / Do not feed the goats”, which people affected by the presence of these animals, such as owners, landlords, managers of establishments or workers, may place in critical locations.
These signs will raise public awareness and prevent practices that alter the behaviour of wildlife. The Council recommends that they be installed in places with high footfall, such as viewpoints, car parks and popular tourist spots. The document reminds people that failure to comply with this prohibition will result in penalties of up to 2,000 euros, in accordance with the Balearic Islands Law on Hunting and River Fishing. Owners and managers of hunting grounds who act in accordance with authorised hunting regulations are excluded from this rule.
The president of the Rotger Villalonga Foundation, Pere Antoni Borràs, and its manager, Joan Comas, the hunting managers of the Cala Murta reserve, Gabriel Santacreu and Gabriel Canaves, the agricultural manager of the Cala Murta estate, Joan Vanrell, the head of the Hunting Service, Bartomeu Seguí, accompanied by environmental agents from the Hunting Service of the Council of Mallorca.
The Rotger Villalonga Foundation is a non-profit organisation that owns Cala Murta, with the aim of promoting the cultural, heritage and environmental aspects of this emblematic estate in Pollensa.