'Treasured' feral goat herd to be culled by 85 per cent as Langholm petition launches to save them

A petition has been launched to save the feral goats of Langholm after a company with rewilding aims said it would cull the herd by about 85 per cent.

Oxygen Conservation, which owns two upland farms measuring 11,400 acres on Langholm Moor in the Scottish Borders, said the semi-wild animals were bad for trees and the surrounding habitat. The goats, believed to be descendants from escaped or abandoned livestock, have roamed the moors for generations.

Oxygen Conservation claims the feral goats are damaging the surrounding habitat | Katharine Hay

The company, which plans to rewild the land it owns in the UK, said when it purchased the farms two years ago, surveys showed there were some 20 goats in the area. A January drone search, however, revealed there were now around 140.

Oxygen Conservation confirmed it would not cull all the goats, but plans to reduce the herd back down to the numbers from its 2023 survey.

A spokesperson for the firm said: “Our approach is based on ongoing monitoring, with annual population surveys and herbivore impact assessments to ensure decisions are data-driven.”

A petition to halt the cull has been launched by members of the Langholm community.

The people of Langholm have launched a petition to save the goats from the cull | Katharine Hay

In just a few days, the document has garnered almost 2,000 signatures - more than the population of Langholm itself.

Gail Brown, who launched the petition, said: “The wild goats of Langholm Fell have been a treasured part of our daily lives for hundreds of years. These magnificent creatures bring joy to anyone fortunate enough to spot them gracefully traversing across the fell.

“With a number young kids among them, they embody the true nature of life and resilience in our rural setting. These harmless beings co-exist peaceably with all creatures on the fell, inflicting harm upon no one.”

The feral goats have roamed the moors for generations | Katharine Hay

Ms Brown added: “It is deeply concerning that such a destructive decision would be proposed without considering the historical and emotional significance these animals carry for our community.

“We must not forget that preserving biodiversity contributes to overall ecological balance, and these goats form a part of our area's diverse wildlife.

“The indiscriminate culling of wildlife is not only unreflectively cruel, but can have unintended negative impacts on the local eco-system. [We] demand an immediate halt to this unnecessary culling.”

Calls had been made to rehome the feral goats. But Oxygen Conservation has said: “Rehoming wild animals is not feasible due to their rapid population growth and the risk of causing ecological damage to other habitats.”

The company said culling was not a decision it had taken lightly.

To inform its herbivore management plan, which was required by the Scottish Government, the firm said a team spent 18 months surveying the land to understand the habitats and pressure from herbivores. The organisation said it had consulted with stakeholders, including NatureScot, Scottish Forestry, and Newcastleton and District Community Council (NDCC), and neighbouring communities at Tarras Valley and Buccleuch, to inform its decision.

Jim Lewis, chairman of the NDCC, said the community only found out about the goat cull from the press.

He said: “Although NDCC have been consulted in the past on Oxygen Conservation activities regarding their purchase of areas of Langholm moor there was no consultation between NDCC and Oxygen Conservation in regards to the goat cull and members of the NDCC were only made aware when news broke in local papers."

The Langholm Initiative, a community development trust that runs the Tarras Valley Nature Reserve, of which Langholm Moor is also part of, said it would not be taking part in the cull.

The group has previously told The Scotsman that because the goats mob graze - a grazing method that involves livestock moving to different sections of a land area in rotation - they create a mosaic in the landscape to help biodiversity. The initiative said it was also looking into introducing other animals, including cows and ponies, to diversify the grazing on the land.