How cows are helping one of Britain's rarest butterflies
Summary
The high brown fritillary butterfly, one of Britain’s rarest butterflies, has declined by 62% since 1970 due to its special habitat needs. Volunteers in Wales are helping the butterfly by managing the land with cows that graze and trample bracken, creating the right conditions for the butterfly’s survival.Key Facts
- The high brown fritillary butterfly has orange and black wings and has become very rare in Britain.
- Its numbers have dropped by 62% since 1970.
- The butterfly needs a mix of bracken (a type of fern) and common dog violet plants to survive.
- Too much bracken stops dog violets from growing, but some bracken trimmed down helps warm the ground for caterpillars.
- Volunteers have worked for decades to manage land at Old Castle Down in the Vale of Glamorgan to protect the butterfly.
- For the past three years, cows have grazed on the land to help control the bracken by trampling it without destroying it.
- Solar-powered collars on cows help keep them within the common land without needing fences.
- The volunteer group grew from 2 to over 40 people and combines conservation work with social activities.
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