Ticino urges winter stabling to protect ibex gene pool

Ticino is urging goat owners to keep their animals in barns over winter to prevent mating with ibex and protect the wild animals’ gene pool, SRF reports.

Hybrids result when domestic goats mate with ibex. They can be difficult to distinguish from purebred ibex, but may have longer horns or white or reddish patches in their coats, said Martina Kobiela, an editor at the Tessiner Zeitung who researched the issue for an SRF podcast.

Because the hybrids can continue breeding, they can dilute the ibex gene pool. “At some point, the ibex will be more goat than ibex,” Kobiela said.

Only a handful of hybrids have been recorded in Ticino so far, but the true number could be higher. A genetic test is the only way to confirm a hybrid with certainty.

The canton’s veterinary office has issued guidance asking goat owners to keep their animals in barns over winter to reduce the chance of mating. Goats that are no longer milked regularly may become wild and lose their familiarity with people over the winter, Kobiela said.

Owners need to catch the goats before the first snow. That can be difficult in rugged terrain, where helicopters may be used or game wardens may help farmers round them up.