Birth of rare goat celebrated at Staffordshire attraction

Not yet a month old, the little Bagot goat calls the historic Shugborough Estate home and is testament to the success of its breeding programme for the endangered.

Shugborough is the UK's only complete working historic estate and one of just 20 Rare Breeds Survival Trust farm parks in the country.

Many of the animals kept at the farm are British livestock breeds rarer than the Giant Panda. And the Bagot goat is the rarest breed of them all, with only 100-200 female breeders left in the world.

Staff at the estate said they work hard with breeders and farmers to ensure the animals are saved from extinction.

Corinne Caddy, spokesperson for the estate, said: "The Bagot goats we have on the farm have the best genetics of those left in the world.

"We don't actually own the goats, they are owned by the Rare Breed Survival Trust but we are entrusted with them for our quality level of care.

"They are critically important to us, we now have 16 adults and eight babies at the farm.

"Bagot goats are actually a Stafford breed, they originated at Blithfield Hall in the medieval times, so it's great to have them back in the area."

Other breeds at Shugborough include Boreray sheep, which have less than 300 breeding animals left, and Soay sheep, less than 500 left. There are also Middle White pigs and a dairy shorthorn cow, with less than 150 of both breeds left.

Shugborough has an active breeding programme and promotes awareness about rare breeds to the visitors to the Staffordshire site.

Staff work closely with the Rare Breeds Survival Trust and local farmers to keep the genetic pool of each type of livestock healthy and viable.

They also work with local butchers to promote rare breed high end products - saying the best way to ensure the survival of these animals is to create marketplace demand amongst consumers.

To find out more about rare breeds, visit www.rbst.org.uk