Mallorca wildlife: The wild-goat catcher of Son Vida

Wild goats in Son Vida in Palma, Mallorca

Goats in the grounds of a Son Vida property. | José Antonio Bonet

Andrew EdePalma23/03/2024 09:01

Since the end of February, José Antonio Bonet has been hired to deal with the wild goats invading Son Vida. In this exclusive part of Palma, the luxury homes are providing an oasis for the goats. They enter gardens, they eat plants, they drink from pools. And they leave their calling cards on terraces.

José Antonio says: "The goats aren't to blame for the houses having eaten the mountain. But they do a lot of damage. I built a fence to stop them entering but they managed to get over it. Let's see if the town hall brings order."

Many of the owners in Son Vida are foreign. The houses are unoccupied for much of the year, so the goats become emboldened and take them over.

While José Antonio looks to deter the goats, he has been rounding up some which have occupied the grounds of properties. They've been moved to a finca in Sineu, where they can be used to control the vegetation.

The wild-goat catcher of Son Vida

"The goats aren't to blame for the houses having eaten the mountain"

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