Protection Status

​Protection Status


Goat experts from Britain and Holland came to visit the Herd in 2004. They described the Herd as ancient and primitive with their long shaggy coats and crooked horns, which were different in shape to any other herd they had seen in Europe. The shape of the nose and mouth was also distinct. They pronounced them a Landrace of the Bilberry area of Waterford. They said the area (habitat) is CRITICAL for their survival as Bilberry contains unique minerals and an ecosystem which has sustained the herd down through the years. They stressed that the Bilberry goats must have sufficient land to roam and graze. The herd must also be given ‘Protection Status’ for their unique heritage genetics.
 
An area of land must be reserved for the herd. That is the only way this Bilberry goat herd will survive for future generations. ​