Cattle return as 'natural strimmers' to vegetation

A herd of cattle have returned to act as "ecological engineers" to keep the vegetation at a Kent woodland at bay, a wildlife trust has said.

Each year, Dexter cattle are used to "munch down" the vegetation, push back the brambles and keep the clearings open at Ashford Warren, Kent Wildlife Trust said.

Area manager Ian Rickards said the trust had been using cattle as a "stimulus to nature" at the site for more than a decade.

"They are our ecological engineer, they are shaping the countryside around us and they do it much better than we can," he said.

The trust said the reason cattle were used was because they were "more natural than strimmers and chainsaws", while also providing benefits for wildlife.

These benefits include opportunities for seed germination thanks to hoof prints and seed transportation around the site by sticking to the coats and bellies of the cattle, it added.

Mr Rickards added: "They keep clearing open spaces with butterflies and wildlife to move into.

"Plus their dung is an excellent way to spread seeds and provide food for a myriad of insects."

In total, there are five members of the herd. All are female.

The cattle will be on the east side of the woodland until 22 July before they move to the west side.

The herd will be on site until 11 August.

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