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Now is your chance TO HAVE YOUR SAY, we are consulting on the content of a new draft petition to Scottish Parliament. This consultation is now open and will close on the 30th June 2026. After reading the draft petition below you may email COMMENTS via our email info@twgct.co.uk

Title

Statutory licensing of high-impact culling and the creation of a closed season for;

Wild Goats in Scotland.

Summary

We call on the Scottish Parliament to urge the Scottish Government to introduce legislation to:

  • require that large-scale or high-impact culling operations be subject to an appropriate system of licensing or authorisation; and

  • establish a statutory closed season for the shooting of wild goats in Scotland

in order to support animal welfare, sustainable population management, and accountability in wildlife management.

Background information

Wild goats (sometimes referred to as feral or primitive goats) occur in isolated units across Scotland, forming established free-living populations with recognised cultural, ecological and local/regional economic value.

Historical evidence indicates a substantial contraction in Scotland’s wild goat populations, from over 200 recorded locations in the late 19th and early 20th centuries to around 60 populations by 1969 and approximately 45 herds by the early 1990s, with a total population estimated at only 3,000–4,000 animals. These figures demonstrate both the fragmented nature and long-term decline of wild goat populations and underline the risk that unregulated or high-impact culling may lead to further permanent local extirpations.

At present, wild goats are not subject to any species-specific statutory management framework. As a result, they may legally be shot at any time of year, including during sensitive periods such as pregnancy and when females are caring for dependent young. Such culling may be intensive and of high impact.

The absence of regulation represents a clear gap in comparison to other wild mammals in Scotland, such as native and non-native deer species, that are managed through statutory frameworks including defined closed seasons and provisions for licensed control in specific circumstances.

Recent large-scale culling events of wild goats in Scotland have highlighted the consequences of this lack of oversight, including lethal control carried out during the breeding season, significant reductions in local populations over short periods, and a lack of transparency and consistency in decision-making.

Long-term impacts on herd structure and population stability from the current culling practices

The distribution of wild goats in Scotland is strongly clumped/localised. These are not random aggregations of animals but exist as stable, locally adapted herds associated with specific ranges or “hefts.”

Large-scale and/or poorly timed culling can have consequences extending well beyond immediate population reduction, including:

  • the undue suffering of dependent young animals

  • disruption of established social structures, including maternal groupings and dominance hierarchies

  • breakdown of site fidelity (hefting behaviour), leading to dispersal, stress, and reduced survival

  • loss of locally adapted genetic traits, particularly within recognised primitive or landrace herds

  • involve external contractor-led operations with limited or no detailed knowledge of the herd, its structure, or its range

  • prioritise rapid population reduction over selective, informed management

  • fail to take account of seasonal sensitivities, herd cohesion, and population stability

Such approaches can lead to:

  • unacceptable animal suffering

  • removal of key individuals, including experienced females essential to herd cohesion

  • fragmentation or collapse of established herd structures

  • increased likelihood of dispersal, mortality, and long-term instability

  • extirpation of important herds

These outcomes are inconsistent with the internationally recognised principles of sustainable and accountable wildlife management, particularly where continuity of local ecological knowledge is absent.

Unlike other managed species, no statutory mechanism currently exists in Scotland to ensure that such factors are taken into account when culling takes place.

Without positive action to place important aspects of wild goat management on statute, there remains a serious risk of the continued long-term decline of the small and isolated Scottish herds, and the loss of the undisputed cultural, ecological and economic value wild goats can provide.

Why licensing of high-impact culling is necessary

The scale, intensity, and potential irreversibility of impacts associated with high-impact culling mean that such activity cannot be treated as routine land management.

A licensing framework would:

  • enable prior assessment of proposed culling operations, including scale, timing and justification

  • ensure consideration of herd structure, population status, and local ecological context

  • allow for conditions to promote selectivity and proportionality, rather than indiscriminate removal

  • provide transparency, consistency and accountability in decision-making

Without such oversight, there remains a significant risk of:

  • large-scale interventions undertaken without sufficient ecological understanding

  • progressive degradation of herd structure and viability

  • permanent extirpation of distinct local populations

Conclusion

Introducing a statutory closed season, alongside a targeted licensing system for high-impact culling, would bring the management of wild goats into line with established principles applied to other species in Scotland and indeed, internationally.

This would support animal welfare, sustainable population management, and publicly transparent, responsible, evidence-based decision-making, while ensuring that necessary management can still take place in a controlled and accountable manner.

Thank you for reading this draft petition, we would welcome any comments via our email info@twgct.co.uk