Inside the Leicestershire country park with mixed herd of cattle
You might not expect to see Scottish Highland and English Longhorns cows roaming in a park when out for a walk, but that's exactly what you'll find in Leicestershire.Beacon Hill Country Park in Woodhouse Eaves is home to one such herd and from April to October the cattle are in view of visitors as part of a heathland restoration project.Ranger Robert Lee said the animals are "fantastic conservation grazers" and help to restore and manage habitats in the park."As the cows wander around they create little pockets of enriched grassland and areas of depleted grassland, creating a lovely mosaic of different micro-habitats across the area," he said.
Mr Lee said the mixture of cattle, which includes a small black Dexter cow, were selected because they like to forage, adding they are "quite happy eating rough materials"."The cows eat the grass down, but they also eat things like brambles and tree saplings, so they control the area for us," he said."Without any grazing pressure the area will naturally return to woodland."The ranger said over the years wildlife in the country park, run by Leicestershire County Council, has thrived."Many species have adapted to living in the heathland environment - plants, butterflies, insects and a lot of bird species," he said.
Mr Lee said during the winter and colder months the cows are moved to fields not accessible to the public.He said although the cattle are used to visitors and people taking photographs, he advised people to keep a "respectful distance" and for dog owners to keep their pets under control or on a lead.Mr Lee added it was important for owners to clean up after their pets as dog poo could carry diseases which could be "really detrimental" to the animals."Leaving bits of plastic around, especially bagged poo, cows have been known to choke on it," he said.
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