Goats brought in to help look after heathland

Two herds of goats are helping maintain heathland through "low impact grazing".

East Suffolk Council said 10 billy goats aged between three and 10 had been introduced to Sutton Heath, near Woodbridge, after a trial.

The council said the goats would "sensitively control the scrub naturally in place of machinery or harmful herbicides, while safeguarding vulnerable ground-nesting birds and their habitats".

The Cheviot goats will be fitted with GPS collars to make sure they stay within specific areas, with fencing as a back-up. The council has used goats to manage habitats for a number of years.

The council said trained volunteers would carry out "daily welfare checks throughout the summer, having completed a course on goat husbandry" to make sure the goats were thriving.

Sally Noble, cabinet member for the environment, said: "It is wonderful to see the goats back on the heathland as they play an important role in the protection of this rare and sensitive habitat.

"They are an important part of our low impact management regime of the heathland, minimising disturbance to wildlife."

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