Factors influencing the reaction of mountain goats towards all‐terrain vehicles

2013 
The increasing popularity of recreational activities in the wild has led to concerns about their potential impacts on wildlife. All-terrain vehicles (ATVs) often bring people into wildlife habitats, where they may disturb animal populations. We assessed the influence of ATVs on the behavior of mountain goats (Oreamnos americanus) in a long-term study population at Caw Ridge, Alberta, Canada. We used multinomial models containing environment-, disturbance-, and group-related factors, to evaluate the response of mountain goats to the approach of ATVs. Goats were moderately to strongly disturbed by ATVs 44% of the time, and disturbance levels were mainly influenced by the direction and speed of the approaching vehicles. Environment- or group-related factors (e.g., time of year, distance to escape terrain, group size or type) did not affect mountain goat responses to ATVs. Because goat reactions were influenced by disturbance-level factors, we propose mitigating measures regarding the use of ATVs in the wild to minimize the disturbance to mountain goats, and potentially other alpine ungulates. © 2012 The Wildlife Society.
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