MacGuyver and his brother reunited
Kent Wildlife Trust | Ellie Edmundson

It's the "goat" of Christmas past

Rangers celebrate “Christmas miracle” as escaped goat returns after three-month adventure

Rangers and livestock checkers at Kent Wildlife Trust are celebrating what they’ve dubbed a “Christmas miracle” after a goat that had been missing for three months made a surprise return to its herd at a Rochester nature reserve.

The adventurous goat, now affectionately nicknamed MacGyver, went missing on 14th September after cleverly jumping the fence at Wouldham Common to reach the tasty trees and bushes on the other side before vanishing into nearby woodlands. Despite sustained efforts by staff, including hours of searching over several days, MacGyver remained aloof and elusive outsmarting all attempts to reunite him with his herd.

Last week, on 12th December, staff were stunned to find MacGyver back with his herd, looking healthy and unscathed from his months-long escapade. His triumphant return has left rangers and livestock checkers scratching their heads in amazement and joking that the “goat” of Christmas past has returned!

Wouldham Common, a nature reserve managed by Kent Wildlife Trust and closed to the public, practices conservation grazing to maintain biodiversity. MacGyver is part of a herd of “Old English” type goats tasked with naturally controlling dominant plants and scrub through grazing, helping to enhance the reserve’s chalk grassland.

Kent Wildlife Trust | Paul Glanfield

Ellie Edmondson, Trainee Wilder Grazing Ranger for Kent Wildlife Trust, described her surprise at MacGyver’s return: “We check the herd every day to make sure they’re all present and in good health. To my utter surprise, the count had increased by one—there was MacGyver, standing right next to his brother. They spent a good 10 minutes staring at each other as if catching up on all that had happened before resuming their normal routine. It’s such a relief to have him back where he belongs.”

Despite his prolonged absence, MacGyver seemed perfectly adapted to the landscape, finding food and water on his own and returning no worse for wear. Staff hope that his adventuring days are now behind him as he settles back into the herd in time for Christmas.

Ellie added: “We were all pretty upset when he went missing and would often go looking for him on the off chance we might find him. To have him back safe and sound is the best festive gift we could ask for – you might even call it a Christmas miracle.”

Support Kent Wildlife Trust’s grazing animals
Kent Wildlife Trust manages over 800 livestock across its reserves, and each animal is checked daily by a dedicated team of wardens and volunteer livestock checkers. The charity is always looking for more volunteers to join its efforts and offers training for those interested in this vital role.

Visit Kent Wildlife Trust's website to learn more about conservation grazing or to sign up as a livestock checker.