▁time ▁the ▁veget ation ▁suffered ▁and ▁damage ▁was ▁caused ▁on ▁the ▁island ▁from ▁over - gra zing ▁by ▁go ats , ▁as ▁on ▁many ▁islands ▁in ▁the ▁Great ▁Bar rier ▁Re ef . ▁ ▁In ▁particular , ▁the ▁destruction ▁of ▁veget ation ▁at ▁Lady ▁Mus gra ve ▁Island ▁has ▁been ▁documented ▁since ▁ 1 9 2 8 , ▁when ▁Nap ier ▁provided ▁the ▁following ▁account : ▁The ▁under g row th ▁has ▁been ▁completely ▁e aten ▁away ▁by ▁a ▁f lock ▁of ▁go ats ▁which ▁have ▁inhab ited ▁the ▁place ▁for ▁years , ▁whereas ▁every ▁other ▁island ▁that ▁we ▁saw ▁was ▁cl ad ▁so ▁thick ly ▁in ▁its ▁green ▁and ▁tang led ▁ro be ▁of ▁grass ▁and ▁we ed ▁and ▁low - hung ▁tw isted ▁branches ▁that ▁the ▁crossing ▁of ▁it ▁was ▁a ▁long ▁and ▁hot ▁and ▁complicated ▁task . ▁[...] ▁All ▁the ▁under g row th ▁has ▁long ▁since ▁gone ; ▁hardly ▁a ▁we ed ▁can ▁be ▁found ▁from ▁one ▁end ▁of ▁the ▁place ▁to ▁the ▁other ; ▁every ▁branch ▁has ▁been ▁den ud ed ▁of ▁its ▁leaves , ▁and ▁even ▁the ▁b ark ▁upon ▁the ▁trees ▁has ▁been ▁g na wed ▁away ▁to ▁the ▁height ▁of ▁several ▁feet ▁ ▁This ▁account ▁was ▁cor ro bor ated ▁by ▁another , ▁written ▁in ▁ 1 9 3 6 ▁by ▁the ▁Queensland ▁Act ing ▁Director ▁of ▁For ests , ▁who ▁stated ▁that ▁at ▁Lady ▁Mus gra ve ▁and ▁nearby ▁islands ▁the ▁presence ▁of ▁large ▁her ds ▁of ▁go ats ▁was ▁threaten ing ▁both ▁the