‘Cheeky’ Mangalitsa pigs restore heathland on Brownsea Island
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Mangalitsa-cross pigs are related to the hairy Hungarian breed, developed in the 1830s, that mixed eastern European domestic breeds with the wild boar.
A DWT spokesperson said: “As they forage, pigs naturally turn over the soil while searching for roots and rhizomes, helping to reduce bracken cover and create space for a greater diversity of plants and wildlife.
“While bracken is a native plant with an important role to play, it can become dominant in some areas, affecting the balance of the woodland understory.”
The pigs are about four months old but will grow into large, woolly adults.
