Walking through Woorgreens Nature Reserve in the Forest of Dean, an area of heathland and a lake, we came across six young Highland cattle. Some were the traditional ginger/brown, the others black. They were introduced in 2019 to restore, create and maintain the heathland by grazing the bramble, coarse grasses and gorse, as well as restricting the bracken by trampling it. This will allow a wider range of plant species to flourish and attract a greater variety of insects, amphibians and birds.
A few weeks earlier, when the cloud was low, we had seen the Belted Galloways of May Hill going about similar work. These cattle, however, sported bells, something we haven't seen in Britain before.
photos © T. Boughen Camera: Lumix FZ1000 2
