Highland cattle to graze on in Sonien Forest
A herd of twelve highland cattle has arrived at the former racecourse at Groenendaal in the Flemish Brabant municipality of Hoeilaart. The former racecourse site is part of the Sonien Forest and the cattle have been taken there to help maintain the site in its natural state.
The herd includes one bull, six cows and five calves. The former race course site is an area of open land at the heart of the forest. The Flemish Woodland and Nature Agency’s Yoeri Bellemans says that the agency hopes to keep it that way.
"The former racecourse is a beautiful area of grassland with bushes and small trees. The highland cattle will be able to preserve this perfectly by grazing on it. Had we have allowed nature to take its course then it would have become forest again. This is something we want to avoid”.
Anyone wishing to look at the cattle without disturbing them can do so from a special observation shack that the Flemish Nature and Woodland Agency has built specially.
