Cattle awareness

Dog walkers are being urged to keep pets under close control and on a lead near livestock as cattle return to Sudbury’s water meadows.

The first cattle of the summer grazing season turned onto the meadows this week and the Trustees of the Sudbury Common Lands Charity want to ensure that the cows are given the space to settle in and are not hassled by dogs and people.

The charity has put up a number of signs around the Common Lands to remind people to behave responsibly and held an on-site awareness raising session on Friday May 2nd with members of Suffolk Constabulary’s Rural & Wildlife Team.

Chairman Nigel Eley said: “Each year we receive reports of incidents where dogs have spooked cattle and attacked swans, and we are determined to tackle this problem.

“We know the vast majority of dog owners are responsible, and we hope that they can help in educating those who allow their dogs to run out of control and worry the cattle. We ask everyone enjoying the water meadows to respect other users and keep well clear of all its wildlife.”

The Common Lands have been constantly grazed for 800 years with the cattle typically on the meadows from May to October. Grazing is essential to the heritage of the water meadows and plays a pivotal role in creating an ecology which allows rare plant species and wildlife to flourish.

The Common Lands are a County Wildlife Site, a Local Nature Reserve and officially classified as farmland – they are not a public park.