Stay up to date with notifications from The IndependentNotifications can be managed in browser preferences.Jump to contentThank you for registeringPlease refresh the page or navigate to another page on the site to be automatically logged inPlease refresh your browser to be logged inAllNewsSportCultureLifestyleA pony crosses the road in front of a car in Dartmoor National Park (Getty)Dartmoor ponies will be protected from culling after the government removed them from a livestock counting method that could have led to their extinction. Natural England had initially included the iconic semi-wild animals within its stocking density calculations, which aimed to reduce grazing on Dartmoor’s commons. Environment secretary Emma Reynolds announced the exclusion of ponies from the count and introduced a new payment to incentivise farmers to keep them. The decision follows warnings from farmers and campaigners that Natural England’s conservation measures could lead to the devastation of the endangered breed. Campaigners noted that Dartmoor hill ponies, present for 4,500 years, have seen their numbers dwindle from 6,000 to fewer than 1,000 in 25 years. In fullDartmoor ponies saved from culling risk after fears of extinctionMore bulletinsThank you for registeringPlease refresh the page or navigate to another page on the site to be automatically logged inPlease refresh your browser to be logged in
How Dartmoor ponies were saved from a potential cull
Stay up to date with notifications from The IndependentNotifications can be managed in browser preferences.Jump to contentThank you for registeringPlease refresh the page or navigate to another page on the site to be automatically logged inPlease refresh your browser to be logged inAllNewsSportCultureLifestyleA pony crosses the road in front of a car in Dartmoor National Park (Getty)Dartmoor ponies will be protected from culling after the government removed them from a livestock counting method that could have led to their extinction. Natural England had initially included the iconic semi-wild animals within its stocking density calculations, which aimed to reduce grazing on Dartmoor’s commons. Environment secretary Emma Reynolds announced the exclusion of ponies from the count and introduced a new payment to incentivise farmers to keep them. The decision follows warnings from farmers and campaigners that Natural England’s conservation measures could lead to the devastation of the endangered breed. Campaigners noted that Dartmoor hill ponies, present for 4,500 years, have seen their numbers dwindle from 6,000 to fewer than 1,000 in 25 years. In fullDartmoor ponies saved from culling risk after fears of extinctionMore bulletinsThank you for registeringPlease refresh the page or navigate to another page on the site to be automatically logged inPlease refresh your browser to be logged in
