UK gardening - National Trust slaughters goats

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National Trust slaughters goats

Stephen Firth

2007-03-26, 9:25 am

From The Times March 24, 2007

National Trust shoots troublesome goats

Simon de Bruxelles
The National Trust ordered the shooting of a herd of goats that it had
introduced to an area of rare heathland.

The animals were expected to graze the heath and keep the growth in
check but they found more tempting morsels in nearby gardens and on a
golf course. Even a 6ft (1.8m) electric fence failed to keep them
confined and the trust claims that destroying them was the “only
available decision”.

The 18 feral goats were put on National Trust land at Studland, the
Isle of Purbeck, Dorset, last October. After the scheme was judged to
have failed, the trust spent three weeks rounding them up and put 15
in a pen near Corfe Castle. When they escaped again they were shot.
The three that had evaded capture are still at large.

Animal welfare campaigners and residents criticised the trust
yesterday for failing to find the goats a new home. One resident, who
asked not to be named, said: “It’s outrageous that the National Trust
can have them shot. It wasn’t their fault they could escape. The
National Trust is supposed to be a conservation group.

“They brought those poor animals on to the land and because they
didn’t build adequate fencing, they shot them.

“The only damage the goats caused when they escaped was biting bark
off a couple of apple trees in a lady’s back garden. That is certainly
not a reason to kill them.”

Anita Singh, a spokeswoman for People for the Ethical Treatment of
Animals, said: “The slaughter of these goats tops the list for
stupidity. Humane long-term plans to manage feral goats, such as
clearing rubbish, investing in fencing and providing a suitable
habitat to attract them away from human populations, are needed, not
bloodshed.”

David Hodd, countryside manager for the National Trust, said that the
goats had been killed as a last resort. They had been shot humanely by
a veterinary surgeon.

He said that the three remaining goats would be captured and shot
unless a home could be found.

Mr Hodd added: “We agreed to take on these animals, which had been
destined for the abattoir, to see if we could use them as part of our
heathland restoration scheme. Sadly, we have to accept that this
grazing experiment has not worked.

“They proved impossible to pen within safe grazing areas. We looked at
various locations to rehome the goats but nothing was suitable.

“The problems were with safety as all the locations were too close to
the roads, which could be dangerous if they were to escape again. We
also couldn’t find an available grazing area that would provide enough
feed for the goats. It would have been irresponsible for us to allow
them to roam wildly so we made the best decision we could on animal
welfare grounds.”

Bob Hitch, of the Buttercups Sanctuary for Goats, in Maidstone, Kent,
said that it would take them in and he criticised the National Trust
for failing to get in touch. He said: “We are the only registered
charity goat sanctuary in the country and they didn’t bother to
contact us. They couldn’t even take the time to search for a goat
sanctuary on the internet.

“I would have liked to be consulted about these goats before they were
shot.”

An RSPCA spokeswoman said: “We understand the National Trust had been
trying to find homes for these goats but were unsuccessful. We just
hope they did everything they could to find them a home before making
the difficult decision to shoot them.”

Fussy eaters

— Kids can mate from as young as six weeks old

— Females can breed from the age of six months

— Only uncastrated male goats smell

— Male and female goats can have beards

— Contrary to common belief, goats are fussy eaters but they will try
almost anything once

Source: British Goat Society

amacmil304@aol.com

2007-03-26, 5:25 pm

On Mon, 26 Mar 2007 11:08:36 +0100, Stephen Firth
<steve@smalloc.co.uk> wrote:

>From The Times March 24, 2007
>
>National Trust shoots troublesome goats
>
>Simon de Bruxelles
>The National Trust ordered the shooting of a herd of goats that it had
>introduced to an area of rare heathland.
>
>The animals were expected to graze the heath and keep the growth in
>check but they found more tempting morsels in nearby gardens and on a
>golf course. Even a 6ft (1.8m) electric fence failed to keep them
>confined and the trust claims that destroying them was the “only
>available decision”.
>
>The 18 feral goats were put on National Trust land at Studland, the
>Isle of Purbeck, Dorset, last October. After the scheme was judged to
>have failed, the trust spent three weeks rounding them up and put 15
>in a pen near Corfe Castle. When they escaped again they were shot.
>The three that had evaded capture are still at large.
>
>Animal welfare campaigners and residents criticised the trust
>yesterday for failing to find the goats a new home. One resident, who
>asked not to be named, said: “It’s outrageous that the National Trust
>can have them shot. It wasn’t their fault they could escape. The
>National Trust is supposed to be a conservation group.
>
>“They brought those poor animals on to the land and because they
>didn’t build adequate fencing, they shot them.
>
>“The only damage the goats caused when they escaped was biting bark
>off a couple of apple trees in a lady’s back garden. That is certainly
>not a reason to kill them.”
>
>Anita Singh, a spokeswoman for People for the Ethical Treatment of
>Animals, said: “The slaughter of these goats tops the list for
>stupidity. Humane long-term plans to manage feral goats, such as
>clearing rubbish, investing in fencing and providing a suitable
>habitat to attract them away from human populations, are needed, not
>bloodshed.”
>
>David Hodd, countryside manager for the National Trust, said that the
>goats had been killed as a last resort. They had been shot humanely by
>a veterinary surgeon.
>
>He said that the three remaining goats would be captured and shot
>unless a home could be found.
>
>Mr Hodd added: “We agreed to take on these animals, which had been
>destined for the abattoir, to see if we could use them as part of our
>heathland restoration scheme. Sadly, we have to accept that this
>grazing experiment has not worked.
>
>“They proved impossible to pen within safe grazing areas. We looked at
>various locations to rehome the goats but nothing was suitable.
>
>“The problems were with safety as all the locations were too close to
>the roads, which could be dangerous if they were to escape again. We
>also couldn’t find an available grazing area that would provide enough
>feed for the goats. It would have been irresponsible for us to allow
>them to roam wildly so we made the best decision we could on animal
>welfare grounds.”
>
>Bob Hitch, of the Buttercups Sanctuary for Goats, in Maidstone, Kent,
>said that it would take them in and he criticised the National Trust
>for failing to get in touch. He said: “We are the only registered
>charity goat sanctuary in the country and they didn’t bother to
>contact us. They couldn’t even take the time to search for a goat
>sanctuary on the internet.
>
>“I would have liked to be consulted about these goats before they were
>shot.”
>
>An RSPCA spokeswoman said: “We understand the National Trust had been
>trying to find homes for these goats but were unsuccessful. We just
>hope they did everything they could to find them a home before making
>the difficult decision to shoot them.”
>
>Fussy eaters
>
>— Kids can mate from as young as six weeks old
>
>— Females can breed from the age of six months
>
>— Only uncastrated male goats smell
>
>— Male and female goats can have beards
>
>— Contrary to common belief, goats are fussy eaters but they will try
>almost anything once
>
>
>
>Source: British Goat Society

"David Hodd, countryside manager for the National Trust, said that the
goats had been killed as a last resort."

Last resort? What a load of crap!

Who is the National Trust trying to fool?

We had goats for over twenty years and they never escaped from their
field. All you need is a stout weldmesh fence.

The Woodland Trust say the same about killing deer and that's a load
of crap as well.

..

Angus Macmillan
www.roots-of-blood.org.uk
www.killhunting.org
www.con-servation.org.uk

All truth passes through three stages:
First, it is ridiculed;
Second, it is violently opposed; and
Third, it is accepted as self-evident.
-- Arthur Schopenhauer (1788-1860)

John D.

2007-03-28, 9:25 am

<amacmil304@aol.com> wrote in message
news:69cg03tdqqapv3nqenehqjhdq3n7pntngp@4ax.com...[color=darkred]
> On Mon, 26 Mar 2007 11:08:36 +0100, Stephen Firth
> <steve@smalloc.co.uk> wrote:
>
I have often wondered who this Earth belongs to, and who decides? John D.

amacmil304@aol.com

2007-03-28, 9:25 am

On Wed, 28 Mar 2007 10:13:26 GMT, "John D."
<johndoug.harrison@virgin.net> wrote:

>
><amacmil304@aol.com> wrote in message
>news:69cg03tdqqapv3nqenehqjhdq3n7pntngp@4ax.com...
>I have often wondered who this Earth belongs to, and who decides? John D.
>

In the not too distant future nature might "decide" that man has
outstayed his welcome on the planet and cut us down to size.

Angus Macmillan
www.roots-of-blood.org.uk
www.killhunting.org
www.con-servation.org.uk

All truth passes through three stages:
First, it is ridiculed;
Second, it is violently opposed; and
Third, it is accepted as self-evident.
-- Arthur Schopenhauer (1788-1860)

Old Codger

2007-03-28, 1:25 pm

Alan Holmes wrote:
> "John D." <johndoug.harrison@virgin.net> wrote in message
> news:adrOh.8472$F82.3824@newsfe4-win.ntli.net...
>
> Well it seems the NT decided to put goats on their land, now they have
> decided to get rid of them, and they can be eaten, so no great loss!

Forgot your own rule about only posting to the group in which you read
the post Alan?

--
Old Codger
e-mail use reply to field

What matters in politics is not what happens, but what you can make
people believe has happened. [Janet Daley 27/8/2003]

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