Reserve approves feral goat cull after population surge

Feral goat overpopulation

A community-owned Scottish nature reserve has taken the decision to cull 160 feral goats over the next two years.

Tarras Valley Nature Reserve near Lockerbie has seen goat numbers explode from around 100 to as many as 900 in just over a decade. That’s an 800% increase that managers warn will lead to mass starvation and disease without intervention.

Lead-up to the decision

The 10,500-acre reserve, which came into community ownership in 2021, initially suspended population management to assess the feral goats’ impact. Now, with numbers far exceeding the land’s carrying capacity, managers say lethal control is unavoidable.

“Without management intervention, this unchecked and exponential population growth will continue as the feral goats continue to breed,” the reserve stated.

It added: “We know not everyone will agree but there needs to be space made to respect each other and to respect different points of view.”

Public backing for feral goat cull

The plan has won backing from the Wild Goat Conservation Trust, which opposed a separate cull on neighbouring land earlier this year. The trust said Tarras Valley is “acting responsibly and with due diligence”.

The autumn cull, targeting one fifth of the herd, has been widely supported on social media. Responses praised the “well thought out and balanced approach” that puts common sense management ahead of any potential backlash from naysayers.

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