Most feral animals in any particular region arrive there due to human activity. In order for them to become feral they must be able to survive in the habitat independently. For this reason exotic pets do not normally survive long enough to be deemed feral.

Feral animals commonly include livestock such as goats and pigs and house pets like dogs and cats. When these animals are left to fend for themselves they almost always cause a problem either for people or the natural environment that they have come to inhabit. These feral animals are known as invasive species when they impact the environment and/or pests when they become a problem for their estranged human companions.

Feral cat populations may very well be the most abundant form of invasive species in the world. Cats, which were once endemic only to Africa, have made their way to every continent in the world. Currently there are only a few small islands that do not have cats inhabiting them.

Many animal advocacy groups work with municipalities and others to reduce feral cat populations in a humane way. Some of their strategies include rehabilitation of fierce feral cats to prepare them for adoption, catching and neutering feral cats to reduce future populations and then relocating them to an area where they will have a lesser impact.

Feral goats are another animal that is considered destructive and dangerous to the environment in countries where they have been introduced such as Australia and Ecuador’s Galapagos Islands. With few natural predators, feral goats reproduce profusely and ravage the unique vegetation in the ecosystems. This not only endangers plant life but also the native animals that rely on the vegetation for sustenance which are not able to successfully compete with the goats. These countries have implemented progressive strategies to eradicate feral animals in their conservation efforts.

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