Dartmoor ponies to graze woodland

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Dartmoor ponies are some of the world's rarest

Conservationists are set to release a herd of Dartmoor ponies on to a Suffolk nature reserve as part of a project to create a New Forest landscape.

Suffolk Wildlife Trust will oversee the release of 27 ponies on to an area of plantation forest at Dunwich which will become an open woodland landscape.

The ponies will graze a 700-acre northern section of Dunwich Forest.

It is hoped the move will help to restore a combination of open woodland and lowland heath.

The wildlife trust says both types of habitat are among the rarest in the UK.

One of the UK's rare native breeds, Dartmoor ponies are hardy and are thought to be well suited to life in the forest.

A wildlife trust spokesman said: "Their grazing will be an important management tool in the creation of a New Forest style landscape.

"However the forest will remain freely accessible to the public and horse riders via kissing gates and bridle gates."

There are hopes the project will benefit populations of woodlark, nightjar, green tiger beetle, silver studded blue butterfly and barbastelle bat.