Chance to 'meet the cattle' as grazing herd released at Forty Hall

A herd of red poll cattle are grazing at Forty Hall to help boost the park’s biodiversity and save money on maintenance

Visitors to Forty Hall have a chance to “meet the cattle” after a grazing herd was introduced to the park this week.

Enfield Council is hosting the event on Saturday (29th) with people able to meet the red poll cattle that are now grazing the park and helping to boost Forty Hall’s biodiversity.

The cows are being closely monitored by environmental experts at Capel Manor College, with help from GPS tags that will be used to track the animals’ movements. Visitors can also find out exactly where the cows are at any time by scanning a QR code included on posters around the park.

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The cows will be permitted to graze in an area covering 40% of the parkland at Forty Hall. More will be released at Trent Park at a later date.

The council argues the cattle will “bring many positive environmental benefits to a wide variety of habitats, such as grassland, woodland, wetland and scrub”. The practice of using grazing cattle to manage habitats is supported and encouraged by Natural England, The Wildlife Trusts and Historic England.

The cattle will be contained within a virtual boundary without the need for fences thanks to GPS collar technology that uses high-pitched audio signals as a deterrent.

Visitors are advised not to attempt to feed the cows while dog owners should “ensure your dog does not approach or worry the cattle”.

The council is also looking for volunteers to help them look after the cattle by becoming a volunteer ‘looker’. Anyone interested should email [email protected].

The ‘meet the cattle’ event takes place at Forty Hall between 10am and 1pm on Saturday, 29th July.

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