[fiestyredhead331]

ok so there is a large feral billy who appears to have come down from the quarry area and is now in the middle of a local housing estate in Ullapool. Not sure if there is a herd or not, he's the only one that's been seen.
So obviously local residents are a little concerned but do they call the SSPCA and have them deal with him, hopefully take him back to the herd or will they destroy him? Would be a real shame if they did he's a beauty but not a good idea for him to stuck in a housing estate either.
What would you do?....

[shygirl]

how do you know if he is feral or an escapee? (mine would act wild if they got loose)
i presume hes not tagged?
if he is feral and loose in a housing estate i think he could be shot if not caught quickly - the heifer in aberdeen harbour was shot by the police.

[Anke]

The only option is probably to destroy him - if he is feral they don't know where he came from and can't just dump him somewhere else, and I would bet he is NOT tagged... so nothing else they can do.

I wouldn't have thought it would be fair on him to be homed somewhere on his own, but he would need to be in quarantine for a while before re-homing. Chances of rehoming a billy goat without any info about him are slim... I am afraid I am not too sentimental about stuff like this.

If he is horned, defo needs destroyed as danger to the public when frightened, disorientated etc etc.

[fiestyredhead331]

that was my thought too Anke, doesn't appear to be tagged and a whopping set of horns on him and no-one claiming responsibility for him and I can't say I know of anyone with goats in that area.

might give SSPCA a call if someone else hasn't already

[fiestyredhead331]

hmmm well the SSPCA say that unless he's actually there right now they won't bother sending a rescue officer as it takes them an hour to get there and then the officer will decide on the best course of action.
Kinda hoping he finds his way back out onto the hill 

[shygirl]

he must be quite mature then if his horns are huge - my bagots horns grow about 10cm a yr. id be inclined to herd him out of the village if he has survived so long in the wild. maybe he is poorly to be hanging around humans.

[Anke]

... or someone is keeping a secret pair of goats in their garden....

[fiestyredhead331]

its a small place, no such thing as secrets, everyone knows what you are doing before YOU do 

[Anke]

Well....maybe someone was thinking about getting some goats....

[Roxy]

Has he found his way back?  Er ....it was not Bobby, my elderly black and white, very long haired, very long horns, pygmy intact boy by any chance?  He does look rather feral looking, and he will use those horns too!!  A neighbour said he was on the track one day last week - she rather foolishly opened her Range Rover door to block his way  (he would not be adverse to giving that a whack with his head)  and said she sort of shood him back to the wall - which he must have climbed.

[jinglejoys]

An adult ferel is aa lot bigger than a pygmy.Instead of calling the SSPCA (Who if anything like the RSPCA haven't a clue and will shoot him anyway) why not contact the Feral Goat Society (Or send him down here...except I only use College Valley ferals )

[fiestyredhead331]

it seems to have gone quiet again, no recent sightings so I;m hoping he found his way back to the hill or someone shooed him in the right direction. He looked Old English to me, multi coloured, long fringes and long horns. I'll kee an eye out for him though

[ballingall]

Feral Goat Society would be a shout for getting him rehomed, even if they can't help to catch him (the main people involved are all based in England). But I believe there is a "not as feral" feral herd in the Galloway national park, which might be able to take him.


Beth

[fiestyredhead331]

I doubt if anyone would seriously consider travelling from one end of the country to the other for a feral billy goat. No updates as yet but keeping my eyes open....

[Roxy]

Our Bobby is not your average pygmy - he is x with something, and is massive!!  I have seen feral goats round here in the hills - think they are managed by someone ....by managed, I mean checked.  Think that's just a visual check, doubt they can get near enough to do anything else.