WILD goats with a penchant for grazing have been parachuted in to help groom a beauty spot.
The herd of wild Cheviot goats with huge horns and gorgeous marbled coats has been drafted in by Basildon Council to help manage its grassy marshland in an “eco-friendly” way – making machinery obsolete.
The goats are now living and grazing in the South Essex Marshes.
They will help prevent the spread of noxious weeds and promote the growth of vegetative species through moderate grazing.
They can also help prevent wildfires, by keeping grass levels down and create manure which enriches the soil.
“Using goats to graze means we can manage the land in an eco-friendly way without machinery, and it allows for a variety of wildflowers and diverse habitats still to form,” a Basildon Council spokesman said.
Studies have found goats more effective than chemicals in controlling the growth and spread of phragmites, an invasive thick-stalked reed that grows in marshes and can reach 13 feet in height.
The reed crowds out native plants, altering wetland ecology and degrading wildlife habitat.
“Anything which reduces the use of chemicals and machinery used to tend the land will encourage insects to thrive which will in turn encourage the bird population to grow,” Jon Fuller, group co-ordinator at the South East Essex Friends of the Earth group, said.
“This initiative by Basildon is a greatly welcomed approach to looking after our important natural habitats and green spaces.
“We have lost a huge amount of wildlife across the UK in the last few years and we desperately need measures like this to help encourage healthy wildlife.”
The South Essex Marshes, a network of wet grassland and reed beds, stretch from Tilbury all the way to Leigh, giving home to a wealth of green heritage and biodiversity.
The flat, low-lying landscape is dominated by creeks, marshes and mudflats and is an important habitat for migrating birds.
The marshes are monitored by the Royal Society for the Protection of Bird (RSPB), which works in partnership with local authorities, to ensure they remain hospitable habitats for a variety of bird species such as little ringed lovers, lapwings and wigeons, teals and shovelers.
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