Cromer's Bagot goat herd to be retired from cliffs

Since 2016, a herd of Bagot goats have been brought to the cliffs of Cromer to graze throughout the summer months.

But North Norfolk District Council has said the time has now come to retire the popular but aging herd due to the cost of their welfare and veterinary checks.

"It is a tough but sensible decision to retire our much-loved herd of Bagot goats from their council duties,” Tim Adams, leader of the council, said.

“We are proud of the innovative decision to use them as part of our wider coastal maintenance work and they have proved very popular with residents and visitors, who have enjoyed spotting them grazing on the cliffs over the past few years.

"The goats on the slope project has now come to its logical end, with significant investment required to keep it going, and it no longer being practical to resource looking after them.

“However, we are delighted members of the environmental protection team have worked hard to ensure a well-deserved, happy and healthy retirement solution for them with the Norfolk Wildlife Trust, where they will still assist with conservation.”

Tim Adams, leader of North Norfolk District Council (Image: NNDC)

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The council said there are now greater regulatory requirements for animal housing, which would potentially require the local authority to construct new shelters and more extensive fencing at both the cliffside and winter locations.

This would require significant investment to keep the project going.

Bagot goats have been deployed at the seafront by the council every summer since 2016 as an innovative and natural way of maintaining vegetation on the cliffs.

The 12 grazing goats would also help to limit food sources for rats.

The goats would usually be rounded up in September and moved to other pastures for the winter.

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