A DRIVER had a lucky escape when his car collided with a rare breed cow.

The cow, a Belted Galloway, was thrown onto the bonnet of the car and had to be put down after it suffered a broken leg.

Now, drivers are being warned to be aware of hazards on the heathland where the incident happened – and stick to speed limits.

Police are investigating the circumstances of the incident, which happened on a road which runs through 150 hectares of heathland between Winfrith and Moreton at around 9.15am on December 22.

The land around the road is used for grazing, and there is a small herd of Belted Galloways owned by Lulworth Castle Farm and used for the project, run jointly by the Dorset Wildlife Trust, Lulworth Estate and Magnox.

This low intensity grazing on heathlands encourages the desirable species to thrive, keeping purple moor grass at bay and preventing domination by gorse.

Maddy Pfaff, head countryside ranger at the Lulworth Estate, said: “We’re urging drivers to take it slowly when crossing the heath and any open grazing area. Despite large and visible signs, there seems to be a tendency for drivers to ignore the 40mph speed restrictions in place here. It was distressing to see this animal in such pain. The car was badly damaged and the driver was lucky to have escaped unharmed.”

A spokesman for Dorset Police confirmed the incident happened on Blacknoll Heath and involved a brown Volvo.

He added: “We are looking into the circumstances of the incident but at the present time, no arrests have been made. Anyone with information is asked to call Dorset Police on 101.”

Belted Galloways are popular breeds for conservation grazing because of their hardy and gentle nature. Blacknoll and East Knighton Heath is owned by the Lulworth Estate and is an area dominated by lowland heathland, considered a priority habitat because of fragmentation, change in land use and ongoing development in recent decades. If neglected, trees and scrub can swamp the heather, but traditional British breeds are used to manage the heathland.

Grazing helps to create vegetation which suits an array of reptiles, invertebrates and birds, as well as slowing down the process of encroaching scrub. If the heathland was not managed, it would become scrubby woodland, leading to a loss of the wildlife that relies on the habitat.