🐐 Tiny Cliffside Kid Beats the Odds in Bournemouth
A baby goat born three weeks premature has become an unlikely symbol of resilience in Bournemouth after being rejected by his mother, Hettie, at birth.
Weighing just 2.1kg (4.6 lbs), the tiny goat was born on 31 May as part of the Bournemouth cliffside grazing project — where goats help manage vegetation on the steep cliffs between West Cliff and Southbourne.
Herder Tanya Bishop, who leads the herd and has been breeding goats since 2009, said this was the smallest kid she’s ever seen.
“His little eyes are still closed and may not open for another few weeks,” she wrote on the Bournemouth Goats Facebook page. “But he’s warm, safe, and getting stronger with every hour.”
Thanks to fast action from Bishop and her team, the kid is being hand-reared and is steadily improving.
“The moment he hit the floor we had the means to intervene,” she told the BBC. “He’s beaten the odds because we have the facilities to look after him.”
It’s not unusual for goat mothers to reject premature babies, but this little one is now in good health, with no signs of infection or complications, according to the vet.
The Bournemouth cliffside goat project, which offers an eco-friendly alternative to machinery for maintaining steep vegetation, is supported by a government agreement with Natural England. The breeding initiative aims to expand the herd and improve biodiversity across the local cliffs.
So while this kid may be small, his story is a big win — for the environment and for a community cheering him on. 🐐💚