The Bilberry goat (Irish: Fiaghabhar na bhFraochán) is a breed of feral goat (Capra aegagrus hircus) which is believed to have lived in one herd on Bilberry Rock in Waterford City in the south of Ireland for hundreds of years.
Unlike any other breed found in Ireland, the Bilberry herd is thought to be related to Pashmina, Maltese or Cashmere goats. Locals believe they came over with the Huguenots from France over 300 years ago and have lived on Bilberry Rock ever since.
The goats are feared close to extinction; numbering only 7 in the year 2000 and 21 in 2005. A group of volunteers formed the Bilberry Goat Heritage Trust in 2000 to protect and support the herd. The population has continued to recover and reached 42 in 2008. The herd is led by a dominant nanny. Bilberry goats are large, with shaggy coats and very large horns. Two members of the British Feral Goat Society, Dr.Shirley Goodyer and Dr. Ray Werner, together with Robert-Jan Prins, a breeder of Dutch Landrace goats, reported that they were "amazed to see a primitive herd still living in the wild", and that the goats are a "unique ancient breed."
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