Three Sussex cattle were released into Tolworth Court Farm Fields, the first large-scale rewilding site in southwest London, last Thursday, April 2.
They join the three Sussex cows that were released in February by the Deputy Mayor of London, Mete Çoban. The release is part of the Wild Tolworth project, run by Citizen Zoo in collaboration with The Community Brain and Kingston Council, which owns the land housing the rewilding site. By utilising over 42 hectares of land (nearly twice the size of St James’s Park), the project aims to give the cattle plenty of room to roam.
For the first time in 50 years, these brown bovine creatures have been invited to the nature reserve in the hopes that they restore the natural habitat for the locals to enjoy. The cows earn their keep by doing what they do best: trampling the grass and grazing. According to Citizen Zoo, the herd’s natural moo-ching about is expected to build a ‘mosaic of habitats, increase plant and insect diversity and help sequester carbon in the soil’.
Don’t worry, you’ll be safe from the trampling. The herd live behind a fence and wear collars that play sounds the cows are trained to respond to if they get too close to the boundary. They’re also well-cared for by a group of volunteers known as ‘Wild Guardians’.
The cows will have to share their paradise later this year with Oxford Sandy and Black pigs, a breed whose natural foraging will hopefully help local wildlife by digging up grubs and roots. There’s even potential to introduce horses.
Having also completed their ‘wetland restoration phase’, which included planting around 4,200 plants on the site, the future of this once-neglected nature site is looking green.
In case you missed it: Did you know that you can walk the world’s longest coastal path in London?
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