I HAD a horrible gut reaction on reading B&A Pendray’s letter (‘Cows would get stuck’, September 7).
It was similar to that sinking feeling on discovering I had lost a ten pound note.
Having cattle at the Stour Valley Nature Reserve would be of immense benefit to wildlife despite some objections from certain elements of the public who want to run wild and disturb the very essence of having increasingly rare undisturbed environments, which is of immense importance for many species of birds.
Cattle have the added effect of attracting insect life with their waste and it’s no coincidence that where cattle graze, birds like to forage for those insects.
My request to Bournemouth council is to provide a land manager with advice on management techniques for grazing Stour Valley Nature Reserve that encourages a rich diversity of wildlife while at the same time restricting the damaging effects, be it unintentionally, of noisy walkers with some of those screaming at uncontrolled dogs creating havoc.
And as for the concerns on animal welfare being used to rid the nature reserve of its cattle, need I remind those responsible that farmers have more animals then the rest of society put together and their knowledge on animal husbandry is second to none?
MIKE FRY, Moorland Crescent, Upton
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