Rooting for wildlife: How pigs benefit the heaths
- Published:
- 24 April 2024
Grazing with cattle, ponies and pigs is a crucial part of restoring nature on the Purbeck Heaths National Nature Reserve (NNR). The woolly pigs roam the expansive heathlands of Hartland Moor, Stoborough Heath and the Arne peninsula.
Disturbing the ground is good
For thousands of years, wild boar were a natural part of Britain's landscapes. Through their rooting, digging and foraging behaviour, they continually disturbed small patches of ground, creating a mosaic of habitats that supported a wide range of wildlife.
Although wild boar are no longer a natural part of most landscapes in southern England, domestic pigs can help recreate some of these ecological benefits. Using their powerful snouts, pigs turn over patches of soil while searching for roots, invertebrates and other food.
By carrying out tasks that would be difficult to replicate using machinery or other livestock, they help restore the dynamic habitats that wildlife depends on.
Helping insects, reptiles and birds
The small areas of disturbed soil created by pigs allow annual wildflowers to establish. These flowers provide valuable nectar and pollen for bees, butterflies and other pollinating insects, while the exposed soil is a nesting place for burrowing insects. This in turn benefits the birds that depend on insects for food.
Reptiles such as sand lizards and smooth snakes also use the warm bare patches for basking and egg-laying. So pig grazing is helping support a richer, more resilient ecosystem.
Part of a wider conservation programme
Pigs are just one of several grazing animals used across the heathland landscape. Conservation grazing by cattle and ponies helps create a varied habitat structure that supports a wide range of wildlife. Each species grazes differently, and together they help maintain the open, species-rich character of the heath.
How the pigs are managed
The pigs are owned and cared for by experienced local farmers who work closely with our countryside team. They are checked regularly, and both their condition and impact on the habitat are carefully monitored by ecologists and volunteers. This monitoring helps ensure conservation objectives are being achieved and allows management to be adapted where necessary.
Please don’t feed or pet the pigs
We have a small number of pigs grazing across an extensive landscape. These pigs are intelligent, curious and generally docile. As with any livestock, they should be treated with respect and given plenty of space. The biggest risk comes when animals become accustomed to receiving food from people. This can change their behaviour, making them more likely to approach or pester visitors in search of food.
If you encounter them, please:
- Admire them from a distance.
- Keep your dog on a lead, especially when piglets are present as sows will be protective of them.
- Do not feed, call or pet the pigs.
- Keep moving and they will usually ignore you.
Managing the Purbeck Heaths
We use fencing specifically designed to contain livestock while allowing public access and wildlife movement. In areas where pigs are used, fencing may include features such as a low ‘nose wire’ that prevents pigs from lifting or burrowing underneath. As with all aspects of site management, we review fencing regularly and adapt where necessary.
The organisations that manage the Purbeck Heaths NNR are the RSPB, the National Trust, Dorset Wildlife Trust, Forestry England, the Rempstone Estate, Amphibian and Reptile Conservation and Natural England. The Dorset National Landscape Partnership provides a coordinating role. Find out more here.
