The Tahr Foundation has apologized for any offence taken after adopting the lobby slogan 'They Are Us'.
DOC plans to cull the introduced species at three times the level it has in past years to bring the population down to a more sustainable level, and protect South Island flora and fauna.
The Foundation wants people to regard tahr as part of the fabric of society, because the animals have already been in the country for more than a century.
Its latest campaign video was given the same name as the country's Quote of 2019, coined by Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern to promote unity after the Christchurch mosque attacks.
The video was renamed What They Mean To Us after six hours online with thousands of views and shares.
Spokesperson Willie Duley told RNZ reporter Katie Todd tahr are an incentive for hunters to get in the hills.
