Please consider signing this petition to help have the Wild Goat Herd of Langholm Moor in Lowland Scotland legally protected, they are a heritage component of the landscape we also hope to have protected.
At the moment they are being culled by new landowners Oxygen House.
https://petitions.parliament.scot/petitions/PE2151
The Wild goats are believed to have arrived from Persia at the end of the last Ice age, with the retreating ice.
Archeological evidence has found goat bones from around 700 BC in Scottish Brochs.
Despite this, the Scottish Government considers the wild goat herd as a ‘non native species’ of which it is ‘ illegal to release into the landscape’ and endorsing the culling of the herd.
This opinion needs to be updated, Red squirrels for instance, which arrived at the same time from Southern Europe, are considered native, and are consequently protected as an endangered species.
The Langholm herd is one of the few surviving isolated primitive herds, most having historically been shot out of existence.
Studies into DNA of primitive goat herds by Trinity college Dublin, have identified a unique identity in surviving isolated wild herds, which has helped in the understanding and recovery of the Old Irish Goat.
The Cheviot Herd - cousins to the Langholm herd, just over the Border in England and occupying the same range of hills - are now protected, with fledging conservation re introduction projects in Galloway to help preserve this unique DNA identity.
In Wales the Government has worked with conservation groups in Conwy to preserve the Llandudno goat herd, establishing that a target population of 120 - 130 is need to ensure the survival of the herd.
Oxygen house aims to cull the Langholm herd to 20.
Around 4000 signatures have been collected locally to halt the Oxygen House Cull.
The population of Langholm and Newcastleton combined is around 2500.
Both communities share ownership of the Moor with Oxygen house, but neither have been consulted with regard the cull, although at present the goats roam free over the shared land.
The Scottish Goverment however will not recognise this first petition - which is why signing this petition is really important, having been accepted and legally endorsed by the Scottish Parliaments petition committee.
Thanks to Ron McCombe for his fantastic pictures of the goats on Langholm Moor, taken before the cull.
Thank you! Ken:)