Bristol's Avon Gorge is a nationally important botanical site, containing several rare plant species, some of which are found nowhere else, such as the Bristol onion, Bristol rock cress and several species of whitebeam. When sheep grazing came to an end in the area at the beginning of the 20th century, the open grasslands of the gorge slopes, clearly seen in old prints, became covered in scrub and woodland to the detriment of grassland species.
So, as part of a project to try to reverse the spread of woodland and encourage a return to open grassland, six white feral goats, all billies, were introduced by Bristol City Council Council and Natural England in 2011.
The goats are now a firmly established feature of 'The Gulley', a steep, fenced cleft in the Bristol side of the gorge, containing some fine south facing slopes with carboniferous limestone cliffs and outcrops. Ideal conditions for a wide variety of herbaceous flora to flourish, given the freedom from encroachment by woody plants. Trees and scrub were cleared from large areas of the four hectare site and it is the goats' job to prevent their regrowth. The goats are quite at home on the steep rocky slopes, have plenty to eat and their physical wellbeing is looked after by the vets at nearby Bristol zoo.
These handsome bearded bachelors forage as a close knit group and clearly get along well. When I photographed them in the early spring of 2015, they were touchingly affectionate during their bouts of playful sparring.
