The secret of Tyrol’s blue goats

A group of idealistic nature enthusiasts from Tyrol have successfully saved the Blobe goat, a rare species of mountain goat, from extinction. Through their diligent breeding efforts and a deep respect for tradition, the population of these goats in the Tiroler Zugspitz Arena is now on the rise once again.

‘Wow, a whole shelter full of bucks,’ is a sentence that often escapes the lips of visitors who drop by Thomas Koch’s farm. But it’s not entirely right: ‘They may look like it, but they’re not,’ says Thomas, gently excusing his guests’ elementary mistake. He goes on to explain that the goat breed he raises in Tyrol has a unique characteristic: both the male and female animals develop horns. ‘The horns start to grow just two or three weeks after birth,’ he says. This can lead to some confusion. ‘You need to take a closer look to see the difference.’

Introducing Tyrol’s blue goats

Thomas Koch keeps and breeds Blobe goats in the Tiroler Zugspitz Arena. Their name comes from their blue-grey coat, with ‘Blobe’ meaning ‘blue’ in Tyrolean, and they are native to the mountains of Tyrol, both north and south of the Brenner Pass. These animals were once at risk of extinction, with only 28 left twelve years ago. Thanks to the efforts of a ‘group of idealists,’ as he says, the goats have recovered from this danger. They are, however, still highly endangered, but a breeding programme has allowed the population to increase in number again. ‘It’s a challenging task,’ says Thomas, because it’s necessary to ‘ensure that as much diversity as possible emerges from the small gene pool’.

Robust and resilient

Thomas himself is one of the idealists. ‘The blue goats captivated me with their strong build and proud nature. I’ve been breeding with eight mother goats since 2014 and am very taken by the robustness and resilience of this beautiful Tyrolean mountain goat breed.’ Breeding these goats is no longer just a hobby, but a serious matter that requires adherence to official regulations, maintenance of a stud book, and taking genetic samples from each animal. Despite the additional work, Thomas still knows and names all of his goats.

The history of Tyrol’s blue goats

The kind of breeding work that is carried out in the Tiroler Zugspitz Arena by Thomas and a number of others is essential for the goats’ survival. Like them, many old livestock breeds are unattractive for conventional breeding and large farms, and have become forgotten and neglected.

‘In the 1950s and 60s, goats were still a common sight here,’ says Thomas. They were an essential source of milk, especially when cows were too old to produce milk for their calves. This, at least, kept a farm self-sufficient. Keeping goats was also less expensive and time-consuming, making two or three of them a viable option for even less affluent families. ‘Goats are the poor man’s cow,’ Thomas quotes an old saying.

Climbing like a goat

If you want to spot blue goats in their natural habitat, you’ll need to venture high up in the Tiroler Zugspitz Arena. During the summer months, they can be found grazing above the tree line, scaling steep cliffs and narrow ridges with ease. Their impressive climbing skills confirm the age-old adage ‘climbs like a goat’. The lead animal in the group is always a female, says Thomas. ‘Hierarchy plays a significant role in goat society; the female boss is the leader and the others follow.’ By equipping the female lead goat with a GPS transmitter, Thomas can easily locate the entire herd if necessary. And whenever his schedule permits, Koch loves to go up and visit his goats in their mountainous terrain above Lermoos.