Dartmoor herd moved to new county

The Dartmoor pony is now rarer than the giant panda

A herd of Dartmoor ponies has been introduced to Norfolk to try to halt their decline and maintain heathland.

The Norfolk Wildlife Trust has taken 16 ponies who will be left to roam over large areas of the west of the county.

Grazing Officer Mel Slote, said: "This a wonderful opportunity for us to protect wildlife sites and to help in the conservation of a native pony."

The Dartmoor pony is now rarer than the giant panda with only 500 left compared to 1,600 pandas.

Similar habitats

Dru Butterfield of the Dartmoor Pony Heritage Trust, said: "We are delighted that our ponies can benefit land management in Norfolk.

"Norfolk Wildlife Trust staff came down to look at the similarities between the habitats here on Dartmoor and in west Norfolk, and talked to farmers about their experiences with Dartmoor ponies.

"We are confident that the transition between Dartmoor and Norfolk will be beneficial to all involved."

Dartmoor ponies are a tough, hardy breed which can live all year round in harsh conditions.

The earliest mention of the Dartmoor pony was in 1012 in the will of a Saxon Bishop Aelfwold of Crediton and they have been used in the tin mining industry and on the farm.

They are now outnumbered on Dartmoor by Shetlands and cross breeds which attract a higher market price than the plain brown and black Dartmoors.