Czech city of Havířov to bring cattle and Exmoor ponies to reserve

The city of Havířov in northern Moravia has decided to bring aurochs-like cattle and Exmoor ponies into a local nature reserve: the animals will graze on ten hectares near the Rondel area, naturally maintaining the wetland landscape instead of costly manual clearing, said Havířov city spokesperson Skulová.

Zlín Zoo backs the project

Havířov's project was chosen by Zlín Zoo — out of all the applications submitted across Czechia, this was the idea selected. The zoo will provide funding, and its specialists already visited the site on Wednesday to assess the conditions. Going forward, the zoo has also promised methodological support, including access to the many specialists it has ties with.

The chosen plot, covering ten hectares, will need to be fenced. According to the city's estimates, the project will cost four to six million crowns. Skulová is confident the investment will pay off over time: natural grazing will let the city save on the upkeep of the area, which is currently quite costly.

Three cattle and three ponies for the whole year

The organization “Česká krajina” has already promised to provide the animals themselves, free of charge. It will be up to the city to create suitable conditions for the animals and ensure veterinary care. According to Skulová, the cattle and ponies complement each other well: each species grazes differently, they differ in size, and they disturb the ground in different ways.

The nature reserve will be home to three cattle and three Exmoor ponies — a number chosen so that the area provides enough food for the animals all year round. The site itself is a little over ten hectares and, according to Skulová, is genuinely picturesque, though few people have ever been there, since the plot is fairly secluded. The city wants to use it for educational purposes too, for example for pupils from local schools, and also plans to build a small observation tower there and set up a space dedicated to nature.

The idea came from experience abroad

The city found its inspiration abroad. The initiative came from Jan Smola, head of the landscape ecology department, who oversees the area. “The wetland near the Rondel is an exceptionally valuable area, and we want to gradually unlock its potential. We're guided by approaches that let us care for the landscape in a natural way. Aurochs-like cattle and Exmoor ponies could play an important role in that,” Smola explained.

Havířov is also looking for additional sources of funding, including grants that would allow the planned transformation of the area to be carried out as fully as possible.

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Around Prague, based on reporting by ekolist.cz