A group of endangered Old English Goats moved into Cheshunt Marsh last week in the 1,000 acre River Lee Country Park to help improve the area for a range of important wildlife.
The 15-strong herd, originally from Northumberland, were relocated in 2015 by Place Services’ Legacy Grazing Project after the animals were left suddenly homeless and in desperate need of a new home. A rare native breed dating from medieval times, there is thought to be only 1,000 Old English Goats remaining in the UK. Legacy Grazing now manage the herd and have worked in partnership with Lee Valley Regional Park Authority to bring them to Cheshunt Marsh.
The herd has already made themselves at home and begun their important new ‘job’, helping to improve the diversity of the park’s wildlife by controlling bramble and scrub.
Cath Patrick, Conservation Manager at Lee Valley Regional Park Authority, said: “We are very excited to be working with Legacy Grazing and are delighted to have the goats at Cheshunt Marsh. Their introduction will help us manage the area more sustainably and make a real difference to the quality of this important grassland over the coming years.
“If you’re visiting, you may well be able to spot our new goats, but they are on a strict diet of bramble and scrub so please don’t feed them!”
