Local Wildlife

[Hugo]

Can't say that I've read it before as it was less than an hour old when I posted it, but if Nemesis had had a couple of bricks when the Goats invaded her place she could have started the contraception process for this year!       

[SteveH]

Can't say that I've read it before as it was less than an hour old when I posted it, but if Nemesis had had a couple of bricks when the Goats invaded her place she could have started the contraception process for this year!       

Sorry Hugo, what I meant was, that the BBC article was near enough what we commented on over the past few weeks, .......thought the bricks were for camels only ?

[Blongb]

Sorry Hugo, what I meant was, that the BBC article was near enough what we commented on over the past few weeks, .......thought the bricks were for camels only ?

That can be a very very painful process Steve..... especially if you put your thumbs in the wrong place.   

[Nemesis]

Can't say that I've read it before as it was less than an hour old when I posted it, but if Nemesis had had a couple of bricks when the Goats invaded her place she could have started the contraception process for this year!       

Now there's a thought! If you hear strange noises you'll know what is going on .

[SteveH]

Llandudno's goats brought traffic on the A470 to a standstill as they ventured further around the town.

The famous goats - usually found around the Great Orme - have been spotted invading the Primark car park, queuing outside barbers and even checking into a hotel in recent months as they trip trap further afield during lockdown.

But their appearance on the dual carriageway has sparked concerns they could be hit by a car - or cause an accident as they wander across the town into completely new areas.

The stretch of road contains a 40mph speed limit, which changes to a 60mph limit only yards up the road.

It has prompted calls for someone to take action on herding them back up the Orme.    (You might get them up, but not for long ! ! )

"What happens if a goat is hit by a car or a driver swerves to avoid a goat and hits a person."

Others are asking for temporary speed restrictions and signs to ensure the safety of the goats and to make an 'asset' of them to benefit the town.

cont  https://www.dailypost.co.uk/news/north-wales-news/llandudno-goats-bring-a470-traffic-20200048

[SteveH]

The goats found their way into our back garden last night about 7pm, they came through the gardens of the parallel road behind us, unfortunately, their ground level is higher than ours, so the smaller ones were trapped, we managed to get them out, and checking this morning, the usual mess and damage, we thought this area was safe, and had moved our better plants etc, a lot of the shrubs just coming into bud, stripped........and after making our front garden fence look like a prison, with unsightly wire mesh fencing, this is adding insult to injury.

PS I am now convinced that the town herd has split into two, we are hearing reports as above about them being on the A470, but we are still seeing them in the Westshore area at the same time.



Perhaps Kilnsey (conservation) Park would like some of ours ?

Renowned for its conservation work under the custodianship of the Roberts family, Kilnsey Park has been reconnecting people with nature for decades.

Only here can you see the rare lady’s slipper orchid, once a common sight throughout the Dales, whose delicate blooms now only flower in a handful of locations, including the Park’s nature reserve.

Kilnsey Park also manages one of the UK’s Red Squirrel Captive Breeding Programmes.
It is a scheme which works to ensure that the gene pool of the critically endangered UK red squirrels is as large as possible.

The invasion of the Welsh town by goats providing unlikely inspiration. to introduce some British primitive goats to the park....

https://www.cravenherald.co.uk/news/19149849.see-new-additions---including-native-goats---kilnsey-park-spring/?ref=rss&IYA-reg=49560bcd-5a9c-47f0-8fc5-ba2e71710589

[Nemesis]

So sorry Steve, I know just what you mean, we are still suffering from the last invasion. Things just don't re-grow before they are here again. Walls don't re-instate either, especially when they are as old as ours. The mortar is too friable and just crumbles beneath the weight ! We have decided not to buy anything decent at the moment--, a few polyanths to brighten the front steps and that's it.
Our local councillor spoke on TV about them, but as you say, there are more than one group/herd and far more than we are led to believe.

[SteveH]

Thanks Nem, As I said, we thought the back was safe, and trying to get the youngsters out was like herding cats, they did damage to our stone walls, scrabbling to get out, it took some time but, we managed to open the gates, and get them out past the car   

[SteveH]

This a letter sent to the Western Telegraph newspaper, it shows that there are places out there that show interest in re homing some of these goats, and once things get better, this should be investigated further.


"I see that the infamous Kashmiri goats of the Great Orme Country Park are causing problems in the manicured gardens of Llandudno.

If wardens want to cut down on numbers, I am prepared to re-home ten in my Cardigan Island Coastal Farm Park tourist attraction at Gwbert, as long as someone can transport them down to me.

Provided that the ten do not comprise any more than two males, and that they are all young and healthy, they'd be welcome here. They'd have a good home here! Plenty of grass!

I wonder if the West Wales Wildlife Trust would also consider re-homing another 20 or so, on the 40 acre ,very grassy, Cardigan Island, which is a Nature Reserve 300 metres off Cardigan Island Coastal Farm Park.

Cardigan Island is only presently occupied by seabirds. It used to have a flock of wild Soay sheep until some years ago. Kashmiri goats should thrive on its abundant rough grazing and cliffs.They would be better than sheep in keeping the long grass in check.

By the way, I believe that one of them became Shenkin IV, the proud mascot of the British Army's Royal Welsh Regiment.

So , since Shenkin or Siencyn is the Welsh for Jenkins, I feel pretty sure that his extended family would feel quite at home here amongst us Jenkinses....... Seriously!! Not kidding!!

LYN JENKINS,

Cardigan Island Coastal Farm Park,

Gwbert,  "                   

ref https://www.westerntelegraph.co.uk/news/19170752.letter-llandudnos-goats-live-cardigan-island/?ref=fbshr&fbclid=IwAR3ct8g9LhTCfyKj2Un0k1od7I7INCsiHMOm3GNMcLLXneh9GS0wjyIUSxw

[SteveH]

Baby boom for Great Orme goats...............Spot the two important words below, representing "Wishful thinking"

ONCE again the Kashmiri goats who live on the Great Orme, have invaded Llandudno, this time in force because of a baby boom.

This year the goats and their new kids, many more than normal, have roamed further into the town because the lockdown has reduced both traffic and the number of people on the streets.

The world wide publicity of their wanderings has generated has helped raise the town’s profile internationally.

Cllr Greg Robbins, a Llandudno representative on Conwy County Borough Council said: “Obviously the goats in Llandudno have been a fantastic attraction during the lockdown and attracted worldwide attention. However, there is concern at the distance some of them are wandering. There is one more daring group which seems to be wandering further than others.

Another Llandudno cllr, Louise Emery, said: “I think the problem this time of the year the goats always come down from the Great Orme and tend to stay in the Abbey Road area and do damage in people’s gardens, but they usually go back to the Great Orme when spring comes.

“We are hopeful for the contraceptive vaccinations this summer and are very confident the goats will return to the Great Orme as the weather warms up and the spring grasses grow.”

https://www.northwalespioneer.co.uk/news/19183066.baby-boom-great-orme-goats/

[SteveH]

I watched an episode of QI last night, and was surprised to hear them discussing Llandudno's goats, they do seem to get everywhere !

[SteveH]

Last night about ten, 20 goats bedded down in the middle of Abbey Rd. and for a change 4 sheep, (picking up bad habits) keeping the grass down at the Convent, someone told me the sheep had got into the Convent nursing home through the automatic doors. 

[SteveH]

2nd story today

A TOTAL of 1,300 native oysters have been returned to waters in River Conwy.

On March 25, the Pioneer reported that about 4,000 mature oysters were being installed in six harbours across the North East of England, Wales and Scotland as part of the Wild Oyster Project.

The ambitious scheme aims to bring back the ‘ocean superheroes’ from the brink of extinction

In a bid to restore native oyster populations, and in turn see the return of healthy coastal waters, nurseries filled with Oysters will be suspended underneath marina pontoons in Conwy Marina and Deganwy Marina of the River Conwy.

https://www.northwalespioneer.co.uk/news/19200382.1-000-oysters-begin-important-work-returned-river-conwy/

[SteveH]

Local FB asking does anyone know about the marking's on the goats  ?  (photo Vincent drive) 

[DVT]

I think it was on Country File a couple of weeks ago where they were scanning sheep to see how many lambs they were carrying - they were then colour coded depending on 1, 2, 3 or very rarely 4 lambs.  That way the farmer would know which sheep needed extra food.

I doubt that is the case with the goats, but someone must have marked them for some reason.