Goat Management

One particularly striking, almost symbolic, aspect of the Burren's fauna are the numerous herds of feral goats (Capra hircus) that roam freely across the uplands, estimated to number over one thousand individuals. Recent studies suggest that these herds are unique in Europe, in terms of both their extent and their population ecology.

Goat population management is an issue in the Burren not least because herds of goats sometimes cause damage to stone walls.