Bilberry goat
![A wild goat with huge horns walks through the grass on a winter morning.](../I/m/Sx120_Nightmare.jpg)
The Bilberry goat is a unique[1] breed of feral goat which is believed to have lived in one herd on Bilberry Rock in Waterford City in the south of Ireland for hundreds of years.[2]
Unlike any other breed found in Ireland or Great Britain, the Bilberry herd is thought to be related to Pashmina, Maltese or Cashmere goats.[3] Locals believe they came over with the Huguenots from France over 300 years ago and have lived on Bilberry Rock ever since.[4]
The goats are feared close to extinction; numbering only 7 in the year 2000 and 21 in 2005.[5] A local charitable society of volunteers, The Bilberry Goat Heritage Trust was set up in 2000 to care for the animals. The herd continues to recover; numbering 42 in 2008.[6][7][8] The herd is led by a dominant nanny. The goats are large, with shaggy coats and very large horns. Two members of the British Feral Goat Society, Dr.Shirley Goodyer and Dr. Ray Werner, together with Robert-Jan Prins, a breeder of Dutch Landrace goats,[9] reported that they were “amazed to see a primitive herd still living in the wild”, and that the goats are a “unique ancient breed.”
Conservation
The Bilberry Goat Trust was set up to protect these goats from extinction. The 14-acre (5.7 ha) piece of land where they graze used to be a commonage but was sold to a developer who wanted to build houses on the whole area. This would render the Bilberry Herd extinct and appeals were made sparking publicity.[10] Zoning authorities decided to reduce the goats' area to 12.5 acres (51,000 m2).[11] The Irish Wildlife Trust is actively involved in the campaign.[12][13] The feral goat is not a protected species and Bilberry Rock is not a Natural Heritage Area under the Wildlife Act 2000.
Notes
- ↑ Goats of Waterford Heritage Week run by Department of the Environment, Community and Local Government and Fáilte Ireland
- ↑ Between a rock and a goat's place in Waterford Irish Times, August 2009
- ↑ Ancient goats face extinction The Sunday Times, May 2005
- ↑ Bilberry Goat Heritage Trust, local voluntary society responsible for the care of the herd
- ↑ Ancient goats face extinction The Sunday Times, May 2005
- ↑ Bilberry Goat Heritage Trust, local voluntary society responsible for the care of the herd
- ↑ Between a rock and a goat's place in Waterford Irish Times, August 2009
- ↑ Goats of Waterford Heritage Week run by Department of the Environment, Community and Local Government and Fáilte Ireland
- ↑ The Goats of Bilberry Rock Waterford City (Report). The Bilberry Goat Heritage Trust. 2002.
- ↑ No kidding: Bilberry Rock goat herd is facing extinction, Waterford News and Star, article preserved by Thomas Crosbie Holdings
- ↑ Goats of Waterford Heritage Week run by Department of the Environment, Community and Local Government and Fáilte Ireland
- ↑ Bilberry goats may turn out to be a rare breed, Waterford News and Star, article preserved by Thomas Crosbie Holdings
- ↑ Staggering response to ‘save the goats’ petition, Waterford News and Star, article preserved by Thomas Crosbie Holdings
References
External links
- The Bilberry Goat Heritage Trust website
- Bilberry Goats Blog — by The Bilberry Goats Heritage Trust on Blogspot.
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