Highland cattle have been brought in to trim the vegetation on the nesting grounds of lapwing at Arundel Wetland Centre in West Sussex.
Arundel Wetland Centre is one of 10 wetland centres across the UK managed by the Wildfowl and Wetlands Trust (WWT) conservation charity.
Four Highland heifers were brought to the wetland nature reserve on August 2, and will graze the wet grassland for two months.
The aim of using the cattle to graze is to knock back the vegetation more sustainably than machinery. An added benefit, WWT said, is the beetles and worms that the cows’ dung attracts, which provides rich feeding grounds for nesting lapwing in springtime.
Reserve Manager Suzi Lanaway said: “These lovely girls will help keep vegetation in check in the summer months.
“Birds and wildlife aren’t bothered by the livestock – in fact the cattle egrets will enjoy the flies the heifers attract.”
According to the WWT, which runs Arundel, the land where the Highland cattle will be grazing was traditionally grazing marsh.
The cattle will be visible from the Ramsar Wildlife hide and the Lapwing Wildlife hide at the wetland centre.
WWT maintains thousands of hectares of wetland across its reserves with the purpose of supporting and protecting endangered species – the lapwing being one of these.
