They have their own Facebook page
and have attracted tourists for decades.
But the 'marauding billies' of Lynton, Devon,
are not so popular with locals tired of their habit of eating garden shrubs.
Now the town council says half the herd of wild goats will be killed
because they are infuriating villagers.
Numerous measures to control the herd have been taken over the years,
including a contraceptive programme which was introduced last year.
But town clerk Kevin Harris said the move was 'slow burn' and will take a while to affect numbers.
He said: 'We need to do this to get the balance of goats and people in the town right and allow people to lead goat-free lives.'
Lynton and Lynmouth mayor Suzette Hibbert said the males did serious damage to gardens when they came into town.
'It's been going on year in, year out - the billies get older and join the band of marauders,' she said.
'We feel that some of the marauding billies have to go.
They even get into the cemetery and eat the flowers.'
Town councillor and keeper of the goats Elizabeth Rodway blamed the recent goat invasion on a bad winter.
She said: 'It's very, very unfortunate that we've had such an appalling winter - that's why they come into the town.'
Councillor Rodway said the goats were good for tourism but did not know the difference between the shrubs they ate in the wild
and the ones they consumed in people's gardens.
In total, around 14 goats are expected to be killed in the cull.
I'd say that humans need to learn to live with other species ASAP, we have no right to kill wild animals
because they eat our garden shrubs or eat flowers in the cemetery.
Nature is not only ours and we have no right to deny others to use it!!
