Arapawa Goat Breeders - USA
Arapawa Goat Breeders – USA (AGB) is an informal association of conservers of the rare breed of goats that were feral on Arapawa Island in Queen Charlotte Sound and separated from the South Island of New Zealand by the Tory Channel. They persisted in an undiluted feral state for 150 or more years and evolved with self-sustaining characteristics that make them valuable for the healthy genetic diversity they possess.
There are presently a dozen or so holders of Arapawas across the US stemming from a founder herd of six goats imported in 1991 by Plimoth Plantation, a living museum in Plymouth, Massachusetts. The total US population in 2005 approached 200 live animals. A registry of thoroughbred Arapawas was initiated by Plimoth Plantation Rare Breeds Department. The Registrar for the association now maintains the registry.
The Arapawa Goat Breeders – USA performs the functions of keeping the registry of thoroughbred animals, providing a communications link to the holders of the breed, and promoting breed conservation to anyone interested. Census data has been gathered every year or two for the measurement of progress and information for American Livestock Breeds Conservancy (ALBC). As of January 2006, there have been 175 goats registered. Wethers have not generally been entered. The ALBC has included Arapawa goats in their Conservation Priority List in the ‘Study” category since 2004.
Documentation of the origins of the feral herd on Arapawa Island is important to understanding the genetic resource we are conserving. However, the hardiness, self-sustainability, and disease resistance qualities that these goats evolved make them a potential source for the stimulation of narrowly bred domestic varieties. Since the environment on Arapawa Island is not the same as the conservation herd is experiencing here in the US, these superior qualities must be observed and documented to support the claims. That is a challenge for the conservers.
