Hungry, hairy Hungarian hogs help save UK's most endangered butterfly - Butterfly Conservation
A Butterfly Conservation team working to save the UK's most endangered butterfly have recruited the help of some unique volunteers: hairy Hungarian hogs.
The charity is using curly-haired Mangalitsa pigs at a National Trust site on Exmoor to create perfect habitat for the High Brown Fritillary.
Since 1978, this pretty orange insect with black chequered wings has declined by 65% in population and 87% in distribution across the UK. It is now found in just three locations in England, one of which is the sun-bathed Heddon Valley near Barnstaple.
The south-facing bracken-covered slopes offer ideal breeding conditions for the High Brown but high-growing trees and shrubs quickly take over the habitat.
Butterfly Conservation is using the Hungarian breed shaggy swine and English Longhorn cattle owned by the National Trust to act as living lawnmowers, chomping down the aggressive growth to create space for the tiny, delicate Common Dog-violets which are the High Brown caterpillars' sole food plant.
Butterfly Conservation Project Officer Ellie Wyatt said: "This is an incredibly exciting project and working with the National Trust is very rewarding. The trust have been working with the pigs for a couple of years and noticed how their rootling actions benefited the soil and encouraged violets to germinate, so it's great to continue this work to help save the High Brown Fritillary. The Longhorn cattle are also gorgeous and look majestic in the landscape and I'm looking forward to seeing the trails they and the pigs make through the bracken and seeing if violets spring up in these paths. From the pigs to the pollarding woodland work, it’s an innovative project to be part of and I feel honoured to be working with so many passionate people to help this rare butterfly."
Posted On: 12/06/2024
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