Water Buffalo Return to 'Work' - Hertfordshire and Middlesex Wildlife Trust
A herd of Water Buffalo have returned to graze the rare wetland habitat at Thorley Wash Nature Reserve, near Bishop’s Stortford.
A herd of Water Buffalo have returned to Thorley Wash Nature Reserve for the third successive summer. Although an unusual sight to see in the Hertfordshire countryside, local wildlife charity, Herts and Middlesex Wildlife Trust consider the animals to be the best livestock option to graze the 13-hectare wetland site.
Thorley Wash Nature Reserve is nestled between the River Stort navigation and the Stort backwater, near to the village of Spellbrook, and to the south of Bishop’s Stortford. Formerly known as Thorley Flood Pound, Thorley Wash is designated as a Site of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI). It is a great example of a fen habitat and with 99% of fen habitat having been lost in the UK, it is a real rarity in Hertfordshire.
Since the summer of 2023, the Water Buffalo have travelled from Sunnymead Farm in Essex to Thorley Wash to graze the ditches, waterlogged marshy areas and wet grassland on the reserve and improve biodiversity. The animals originate from Asia, where they are found in wet habitats such as riverbanks and marshlands, and often used domestically on rice paddies. As a species they are hardier and more tolerant of water-logged conditions than domestic cattle and better suited to the conditions at Thorley Wash. This means they spend more time grazing in the wetter areas on site and grazing in the ditches, they clear the dense and scrubbier vegetation to improve that habitat, which it is hoped will help species such as endangered Water Voles, which were successfully reintroduced to Thorley Wash in 2015. In addition, Water Buffalo are less selective in their diet so they graze more of the coarser vegetation, which, over time, will enable finer wildflowers and grasses to flourish. If the Water Buffalo were not employed then it would require some heavy machinery such as diggers to keep the ditches clear.
Posted On: 23/07/2025
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