Arapawa

Arapawa goats, also written Arapawa Island goats or Arapaoa goats, are a feral-derived heritage population from Arapaoa Island in New Zealand's Marlborough Sounds. They are domestic goats shaped by long isolation, not a separate wild species. Most are small to medium, agile, wary, and horned, with coats in varied brown, black, white, and broken patterns. Their history is often linked to early seafaring and settlement, but the safest description is that they are an old, isolated New Zealand goat population with conservation interest.

People keep Arapawas in conservation herds, sanctuaries, small farms, and occasional brush-control settings. They can be clever escape artists, so fencing, gates, and handling pens need to be secure before animals arrive. Many are less docile than dairy breeds unless handled patiently from a young age, and mature horns require thoughtful pen design. Stewardship programs try to maintain genetic diversity by tracking unrelated lines and avoiding unnecessary crossbreeding, since the value of the breed lies in its rare island background as much as in any single production trait.

Colors: Belted, Black, Black and White, Brown, Brown and White, Buckskin, Chamoisee, Cou Blanc, Cou Clair, Cream, Fawn, Gold, Moonspotted, Pinto, Red, Red and White, Roan, Spotted, Sundgau, Swiss Marked, Tan, White