Old Irish goats from Mayo have been relocated to Dublin as a way to help reduce wildfires in Howth.
Twenty-one goats who were reared in Mulranny, Co Mayo will have the job of reducing gorse in North Dublin as part of a unique conservation project.
The Old Irish Goat Society have announced that the conservation grazing project on Howth Head, in the Dublin Bay UNESCO Biosphere Reserve, is starting today.
Howth has experienced a number of wildfires in 2021 as approximately 65 acres burned in the area.
The new kids on the block will graze in several sites to help reduce the probability of fires.
The goats will also be installed with GPS tracking, which will allow the herd to move freely in the area.
Melissa Jeuken, beat out more than 100 applicants to bag the job of goat herder.
The scheme will last for three years, it is a partnership project between Fingal County Council and the Old Irish Goat Society.
They said: “A group of 25 Old Irish Goats, originating from the national herd in Mulranny, are travelling with Melissa, their herder, and will arrive today in Howth as the first phase of the project gets underway.
“The project will utilise traditional methods of management, a goat herder and sheepdogs.
"It will also trial, for the first time in Ireland, the Norwegian No-fence system which employs GPS tracking.
“The goats will play an important role in managing growth to reduce fire risk to homes, while also enhancing the biodiversity of the priority heathland habitats.
“The Old Irish Goat has the ability to control the accumulation of gorse, especially after fires, and due to their skillful grazing behaviour and efficient digestive systems, adapt to feeding on harsher environments.
"They effectively offer a more economical and sustainable solution to managing the landscape.”
You can check out the Old Irish Goat Society Facebook page here.
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