Rare ponies to save park moorland

Six special ponies have been introduced to Derbyshire to help restore a heather moorland in a national park.

Exmoor ponies have been brought to the Peak District to eat the wild grass that is currently swamping the heather.

Merry Watkins, who brought the animals to the park, said they were ideal for the area because they will eat course grasses and leave the flowering plants.

If the scheme works then more of the breed, which has existed for thousands of years, could be brought to the park.

Ms Watkins added: "The ponies eat course grasses, gorse, thistles - a lot of species that other animals won't eat so they're very good for biodiversity.

"They don't eat flowering plants, so that encourages more insects which, in turn, encourages more birds."

There are only 1,200 Exmoor ponies in the UK which, comparatively, makes them a rarer species than the giant panda.