CHEWING FOR THE PLANET
Introducing key species to a wild place can transform its health and suitability for other animals and plants. Karen Lloyd looks at examples across the UK
BEAVERS Where Knapdale, River Tay (Scotland), River Otter, (Devon) How Beaver dams slow the flow of rivers, reducing flood risk and creating habitats for many other species, including salmon.
EXMOOR PONIES Where RSPB Broadwater Warren, Kent. How Hardy with toughened hooves. The ponies’ droppings are chewed up vegetation, helping seed dispersal and providing food for invertebrates.
OLD ENGLISH LONGHORN CATTLE Where Knepp Estate, West Sussex How Their grazing has led to the estate now having one of the largest breeding populations of turtle doves and nightingales in the UK.
BELTED GALLOWAY Where Northumberland. How By selecting food from different types of grass and herbs, they create habitat for small animals: partridges, rabbits, adders, slow worms, lizards, frogs and dragonflies.
MANGALITZA PIGS Where RSPB Arne, Dorset How By breaking up the ground, Mangalitza pigs help create a habitat for species such as Dartford warblers, stonechats, smooth snakes, nightjars and sand lizards.
WATER BUFFALO Where Welsh Wildlife Centre, Teifi Marshes. How They graze boggy, damp marshy areas from early spring until autumn, and wallow in mud, keeping pools and streams open and free of invasive species.
KONIK POLSKI PONIES Where: RSPB Minsmere, Suffolk How These hardy ponies thrive in wet environments, grazing some areas more heavily, while other areas escape, allowing the vegetation to grow taller.
GOATS Where Various. How By grazing/ browsing trees and scrub, goats are useful for restoration projects where an open site has been overtaken by scrub. They prefer gorse, ash, willow, guelder-rose.
LUING CATTLE Where Eycott Hill Nature Reserve How Perfectly suited to the Cumbrian uplands, these hardy natives create rich wildlife habitat by grazing the landscape year round.
HIGHLAND CATTLE Where Trossachs. How Heavy trampling helps stimulate regeneration of native seedlings, and they maintain open spaces in woodland – good for biodiversity. Aiding black grouse recovery.