Dartmoor ponies are saved! Fate of endangered animals is safe after fierce backlash from campaigners

Published: 11:13, 16 July 2026 | Updated: 11:17, 16 July 2026 The fate of Dartmoor ponies is safe after fierce backlash from campaigners.  The endangered animals will be protected at current levels after fears newly-drawn Natural England contracts reducing grazing on the Devon moor could result in the removal of 90 per cent of the species. They have been a mainstay of the picturesque landscape for 4,500 years, but the number of ponies roaming the moors has plummeted from 6,000 25 years ago to fewer than 1,000. Concerns grew after Natural England - the Government quango responsible for protecting the country's land, flora and fauna - demanded livestock grazing on Dartmoor was cut by 75 per cent in a bid to protect other species, plants and habitats. This meant nine in every 10 ponies faced culling, with the proposals making no distinction between the species and sheep or cattle owned by local farmers. It was feared that farmers would protect their own livestock at the expense of the endangered ponies in a bid to meet the demands, putting the species at risk. And Natural England maintained that the responsibility lay with the individual livestock owners not the quango.  They have now performed a U-turn on the issue and excluded Dartmoor ponies from any stocking density calculations. Pictured: A group of Dartmoor ponies. The fate of the animals is safe after fierce backlash from campaigners The animals will be protected at current levels after fears Natural England contracts reducing grazing on the Devon moor could result in the removal of 90 per cent of the species  The controversial proposals prompted a rare alliance between the four major parties which all called for them to be ditched. Kemi Badenoch even started a petition to scrap the new contract, despite the Conservatives refusing demands to remove the ponies from similar grazing quotas in 2024. They will continue to roam free on Dartmoor as the new policy ensures numbers will not drop below current levels.  This will be boosted by an additional financial 'pony supplement' designed to further incentivise farmers to protect the species.  Numbers across the moor will also be monitored, the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra) said. Emma Reynolds, Environment Secretary, said: 'After the last Tory government rejected policies to protect our Dartmoor ponies, I am protecting this iconic species by removing them from stocking numbers and introducing a new payment that rewards farmers for keeping ponies on the moor. 'The Tories left the country with a botched Brexit deal, a national sewage scandal and Dartmoor ponies under threat. This Labour government is now cleaning up their mess.' Charlotte Faulkner, Chair of the Dartmoor Hill Pony Association, said: 'This will support Dartmoor's biodiversity, culture and tourism, keeping Dartmoor as we know and love it for generations to come.' 'This is wonderful news for Dartmoor's ponies and for everyone who loves the moor.' She described the ponies as 'rare, native, semi-wild herds that are part of Dartmoor's history, its biodiversity and its future'. When the Mail's Jane Fryer visited Dartmoor she saw first hand the ponies that could be culled  Ms Faulkner added: 'This is a day to celebrate. Dartmoor's Hill Ponies belong on Dartmoor, and today's announcement is a major step towards securing their future where they belong: on the moor.' Earlier this year, The Friends of The Dartmoor Hill Pony launched a petition calling for Natural England to remove ponies from the new grazing agreements, which gained more than 150,000 signatories and gathered support nationally and globally. Conservative leader Ms Badenoch described the plan as 'total madness', while Nigel Farage accused the quango of 'environmental vandalism'. Downing Street responded by saying the Labour government would not allow a cull, insisting the ponies are safe.