Drežnica Goat

The Drežnica Goat is the only local Slovenian breed of goat, and its dissemination is limited to the areas of Drežnica and Bovec, in the top north-east of Slovenia. This is the town of Kobarid, along the coast, one of the five historical regions of the country. The natural borders of the area are the Soča river, to the south, and the western slope of Mount Krn (Monte Nero), that borders the plateau.

In most cases, the Drežnica goat has long, arched horns and a mostly black coat. There are however many specimens with white and grey, black and brown or mottled fur. This breed is especially hard to raise, due to their independent, hard to tame nature, but on the other hand it is very tough and has adapted very well to local conditions. It is also bred because it provides an important contribution to the management of pastures and the landscape.

The Drežnica goat is raised as a meat and milk breed. The latter is used to make bovec cheese, which hails from an ancient tradition dating back to the 13th century: made with raw sheep’s milk, bovec production can include up to 20% goat’s milk (or cow’s milk). It is currently sold directly at farms.

However, precisely due to the difficulties in raising them, the population of Drežnica goats has over time suffered a significant decline, from 3000 heads in 1930 to 130 in 1990. In 2010, recorded heads numbered 400, but the risk of extinction, however, has not been averted.