Hairy horde of invaders gets gardeners’ goat
Poor weather drives clifftop herd into seaside Welsh resort’s flower beds in search for food
WITH its cable car, tramway and pier, the quiet coastal town of Llandudno has drawn visitors for many a year.
But a new batch of interlopers are proving to be far more disruptive than the most badly behaved tourist.
A herd of long-haired Kashmiri goats, which usually live on the cliffs nearby, have invaded the resort after bad weather drove them inland.
The herd has reportedly been running riot in a school playground and left one couple startled when they returned home to find the goats chomping through their garden.
Ian Jones, headteacher of Ysgol San Sior, said: “They’re charming to see but they eat everything.
“They’ve destroyed so many of the trees in our orchard. We use the apples to make the school chutney we sell.
“Most mornings we’ve been having to chase them off the school fields before the school day begins, so that involves the breakfast club children giving me a hand.”
He said several school pupils had suffered from ticks after playing on the school field where the goats had been.
Jonathan Clements returned home to find six goats in his garden, with two butting horns.
“Two were up on the garden walls, munching away at the greenery, and then one jumped down to join the four in the garden,” he said.
“Luckily, we didn’t have any prizewinning flowers for them to eat but there is a noticeable difference to the thickness of the hedging.” Claire Gough, 53, added: “I don’t mind, but the neighbour wasn’t happy as they ate all the flowers in his garden.”
The Kashmiri goats, which had been given to Queen Victoria by the shah of Persia, are thought to have been introduced to the Great Orme, a rocky headland, in 1907 from a herd kept by the Royal family at Windsor Great Park.
Last summer, one of the goats had to be rescued after becoming trapped on a rocky ledge, forcing RSPCA officers to abseil 98ft down and catch it by the horns.
Helen Maydew, a 28-year-old shepherdess, said: “They’re a wonderful part of Llandudno’s history. It’s a shame
‘Two were up on the garden walls, munching away at the greenery, and there were four in the garden’
that it’s been so cold and the grass hasn’t started to grow which is why they are invading the town this year.”
According to a recent count there are around 110 goats in Llandudno. This includes 64 nannies, 25 billies and 21 kids. Some townspeople have tried to herd the goats back to their usual patch.
Conwy council told the BBC it was not directly responsible for the goats. It said it had been looking to reduce the size of the herd by moving some of them – and with a trial of goat contraceptives.
In February, one goat was due to be caught to become the Royal Welsh’s newest mascot, but evaded capture for several weeks. The kid, named Fusilier Shenkin IV, was eventually captured last month.