Feral goats in Dumfries and Galloway to be culled

Semi-wild goats that roam Langholm Moor near the English border are set to be culled by a rewilding company.

Oxygen Conservation, the Exeter based firm, own Blackburn and Hartsgarth farms in the area. Following a drone survey, the company says that 140 goats roam the moors and that this population level would put “incredible pressure” on proposed woodland and peatland restoration projects. 

The team behind the community buyout of 10,500 acres of the Tarras Valley Nature Reserve (TVNR), which includes part of Langholm Moor, said they would not be taking part in the cull led by Oxygen Conservation.

Author and Galloway farmer, Patrick Laurie told ST: “It’s no great surprise that herbivores should require a degree of management, and the goats at Langholm Moor and in the surrounding hills have been actively culled for many years.

“The obvious win/win solution is to manage goat numbers sustainably at levels which allow habitats to recover. It’s encouraging that Oxygen are willing to engage with this work as part of a plan to keep goats on the land as part of a wider balance – from a land management perspective, it is not in the least controversial.”