So the video below is really entertaining but frames Project Isabela as a ridiculous human-animal war like the Australian Emu War of legend, but really, it’s more like Australia’s attempts to stop invasive species like cane toads or rabbits, or New Zealand’s war on land predators. However, unlike in the Antipodes, this project has actually been quite successful.

Goats had been introduced into the Galapagos Islands a few centuries ago, and were so successful that they were consuming all the plant life needed for native species like the Galapagos Tortoise – the ecological devastation was so severe that the tortoise was near extinction in the late 20th century. However, using extreme prejudice (sharpshooters in helicopters) and tricks like Judas Goats, the Ecuadorian government was able to eradicate the goats and work on restoring the natural habitat.

Here’s a bit more serious look at the same from the BBC, including comments from Ecuadorean conservationists. (Warning – video shows goats being shot).

Unsurprisingly, shooting down thousands and thousands of animals, even if an invasive species, was controversial. However, it was successful – in 2006, the Galapagos Islands were declared free of all large introduced mammals that were threatening the native wildlife: goats, pigs, and donkeys.