A COMMUNITY is fuming at plans to cull a huge herd of wild goats roaming a moor in the Borders.
An England-based rewilding company announced plans to reduce the 140 wild goats grazing on its land according to The Scotsman.
Oxygen Conservation, chaired by Benny Higgins – a Scottish banker and former chief executive of Tesco Bank – owns two farms that span 11,390 acres of Langholm Moor in southern Scotland.
“Acquiring land across the UK, from Cornwall to the Scottish Highlands, we believe in restoring natural processes to protect and restore the natural and built environment,” the company told the newspaper.
The firm also claimed that the animals were destroying trees and having a negative impact on the surrounding habitat. And that culling the goats was challenging but necessary.
“Over the past 12-18 months, we’ve been keeping a close eye on the wild goat population across the estate,” the company went on.
“Surveys and data reports have confirmed that there are over 140 goats roaming the landscape and, after careful consideration, we’ve made the difficult, but necessary decision to reduce their numbers as part of our wider restoration efforts.”
But the local community are hitting back, including setting up a petition against the move.
The Holm Today, a local group, posted on Facebook: “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.
“These harmless beings coexist peaceably with all creatures on the fell, inflicting harm upon no one. Their only crime is living on the land they have occupied for centuries. 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.”
