Welcome addition to the coast

AMERICA’S Sierra Nevada has its bighorn sheep, Corsica and Sardinia have the mouflon, the Alps have the chamois and from this autumn Jersey will have a flock of impressive four-horned sheep, thanks to a National Trust for Jersey initiative.

We shall not be able to call our new herd Jersey sheep for the simple reason that they will be coming from their native Isle of Man, where they are known as Manx Loaghtan. However, they will be an intriguing and attractive addition to the north coast landscape which, until the 18th century, was heavily grazed by a very similar breed.

But the four-horns will have more than a decorative curiosity. They will demonstrate that a part of the Island that is now more or less useless for other forms of agriculture can easily support these tough, sure-footed animals with an appetite for the roughest of rough pasture.

As well as having four horns – or six in the case of some show-off males – the Loaghtans are said to have a placid temperament. This is perhaps just as well. Negotiating the north coast cliff paths is a sufficient challenge in itself without having to worry about the possibility of encountering a bad-tempered ram making a bid for freedom.

But there is a potential scenario in which the four-horns could, quite innocently, cause dismay and consternation. The land that they will occupy is adjacent to Devil’s Hole, a place where, at dead of night, the gullible and credulous might expect to find a horned creature with a far less friendly disposition towards humanity than any sort of sheep.

Seldom well-off in terms of hard cash in spite of the gifts of land and property that it cares for on behalf of the Island, the National Trust is now looking for sponsorship to help meet the cost of the new flock. Just as many Islanders have sponsored animals at Durrell Wildlife, people may well come forward to facilitate the grazing plan.

They might even be more inclined to do so because the lands manager at the National Trust co-ordinating the project rejoices in the best possible name for the job – Mr Horn.

Article posted on 30th May, 2008 - 3.00pm

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