Feral Goat Thermal Drone Survey
Feral Goat Thermal Drone Survey
Feral goats are notoriously difficult to count accurately using traditional ground-based methods due to their preference for rugged, inaccessible terrain such as rocky cliff faces and steep uplands. Thermal drone technology offers a transformative solution - enabling precise counts in areas that are often impossible to survey on foot.
At BH Wildlife Consultancy, we have conducted numerous feral goat surveys across England, Scotland, and Wales, using high-resolution thermal imagery to identify individuals and analyse group structures.
BH Wildlife Consultancy have undertaken a number of feral goat surveys and counts covering all three British mainland countries. The imagery from the drones proves extremely useful in working out the population dynamics and the breakdown of the sex ratio. Also in previous counts where a heat source is identified potentially as one goat when counted with a hand held thermal device; when the thermal drone camera is zoomed in to look closer it turns out to be a nanny with kids, therefore three goats instead of one.
How is the Thermal Drone used to detect Feral Goats?
Thermal drone footage provides valuable insight into population dynamics, including the age and sex structure of herds. In many cases, what appears to be a single heat source from a ground-based thermal camera is revealed (upon closer inspection by drone) to be a nanny goat with kids, dramatically improving accuracy. This enhanced level of detail ensures reliable census data and supports more informed management and conservation decisions.
For more information on goat counts and our different methods we employ to accurately do this please get in touch on the contact us section below.
Species Distribution Map showing all BHWC's data till May 2025
Key Statistics
The data provided below is from BH Wildlife Consultancy database.
As of May 2025, BH Wildlife Consultancy has counted over 1,500 Feral Goats.
1,500 Feral Goats have been counted throughout Scotland, England, Wales and the Isle of Man.
1,500
Feral Goats
4
Countries
Contact Us
Have a particular wildlife challenge you’re trying to deal with? Please contact me to discuss how BH Wildlife Consultancy could help.
