La Trobe has welcomed the newest members of its land management team to the Research & Development (R&D) Bushland just outside of the Sanctuary’s predator proof fence at our Melbourne (Bundoora) campus.
They have arrived with an insatiable hunger – which is perfect as they have been tasked with munching through the weeds to help achieve long-term weed control in less time, with less chemicals to prepare the site for revegetation.
Our weed-grazing bearded friends will be enjoying a feast of 43 different introduced plant species including blackberry, kikuyu grass, spear thistle and drain sedge.
We have partnered with GrazeAway who specialise in using goats for invasive weed control. In fact, if you’ve ever driven along the Eastern Freeway, you may have already seen some of their goats in action!
The breed of goats being used are South African Boer Goats. Our first three goats arrived 26 February 2024, they are 18 months old and got straight to work eating the drain flat-sedge!
We will be updating the goats’ progress during their time with us this year – so come back regularly to find out what our goats have been up to!
Did you know
Nangak Tamboree Wildlife Sanctuary has a long history with using goats for weed control. In the 1980s a goat monorail was established whereby goats were tethered to a single wire line that ran along a track. The goats were able to freely move up and down the track and kept it free of vegetation. Goats were utilised as part of weed control and track maintenance within the sanctuary until the early 2000s.