Highland cattle in Wicken Fen NNR

A Highland cattle and a calf were shown in this postcard of Wicken Fen NNR in Cambridgeshire. The back of the postcard explained why they are found hundreds of miles away from their home in the Scottish Highlands - to keep the ground of Burwell Fen, part of Wicken Fen, free of scrub.

According to the National Trust's Wicken Fen website:

Grazing animals are essential in developing vegetation in new areas of the nature reserve. The animals help to keep the landscape open and help wetland and grassland plants to become established.

The Konik pony is a very hardy breed originating from Eastern Europe, ideally suited to the type of lowland landscape at Wicken Fen. The Highland cattle originate from the Highlands and Islands of Scotland. They are tough and robust with a placid nature.

We chose these breeds to graze the land at Wicken Fen because they are more than capable of withstanding the rigours of life on the fen throughout the year and thrive on the available vegetation.

Unfortunately, I have not seen both types of grazing animals when I was at Wicken Fen NNR in 2022. I did not know about the Highland cattle but our guide mentioned the Konik pony that was why we tried looking for them during our tour but to no avail.