Goats destroy Indigenous artwork on Qld island

Feral goats on a tropical North Queensland island are putting Aboriginal cave paintings at risk.

Goats using the caves on Hook Island where the artworks are slowly rubbing off the images that have there for over 2700 years.

Hook Island sits about 30 kilometres off Airlie Beach in the Whitsundays.

Goats were introduced to the region by settlers in the 1800s and local authorities have been trapping and shooting many since 2018.

It is believed the Ngaro people have inhabited the region for 9000 years.

Ngaro elder Peter Pryor told the ABC damage to the cave walls was the result of the animals rubbing along those walls.

“It’s not good, it really isn’t,” Mr Pryor said.

“I’m just glad that there aren’t elders still around to be able to see the damage that’s happened there.”

The Queensland Environment Department told the ABC a small but destructive population remained on the island despite attempts cove several years to cull the group.