Have you ever seen a herd of cattle on a nature reserve and wondered why they are there? It might seem unusual, but grazing with cattle is a powerful conservation tool used by land managers to support a wide range of habitats, plants and animals.
Hundreds of years ago Britain’s landscapes were shaped by large, wild herbivores such as aurochs and wild horses, which roamed freely and kept vegetation in check. Today, apart from deer and a small number of rabbits, the only major herbivores left in our ecosystems are domestic livestock. In Britain, many of our grassland habitats are in poor condition. On most farmland, livestock is grazed intensively, creating short, uniform grass that does not offer much variety or shelter for wildlife.
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