Bristol Royate Hill Nature Reserve celebrates grazing goats' arrival

Dora, Dolly and Dangermouse have been brought in to do some conservation grazing on the brambles over winter

Volunteers at a nature reserve are celebrating the arrival of three goats brought in to support conservation.

Dora, Dolly, and Dangermouse will be staying at Royate Hill Nature Reserve in Eastville, Bristol over the winter.

Their introduction is part of a plan to create more wild flowers on the bank and encourage greater bio-diversity.

Visitors might be lucky to spot them though, as they are "not too fond of rain" and are likely to hide in their pens, organiser Mike Williams said.

A group of locals are volunteering their time to become goat herders

The opportunity has arisen thanks to the support of Street Goat whose mission is to connect local communities with the land.

Volunteers offer their time as goat herders to look after the herd which they said helped to bring more people together with animals and the land.

They produce a rota system of volunteers and assign them one shift per week.

The nature reserve is situated on a former railway embankment that was constructed in the 1870's to form part of the Clifton Extension Railway.

When the goats are old enough they will be used for breeding

Mr WiIliams, who is on the Friends of Royate Hill committee and belongs to the Street Goat group, said the goats' role in conservation grazing on the brambles was vital in encouraging more wild flowers and diversity.

When the goats are older they will also be used to breed from.

A compulsory purchase order was made for the site in 1996 and it was designated as a Local Nature Reserve by Avon County Council after a five-year campaign by Avon Wildlife Trust and the local community to save it from development.