Dartmoor ponies declared ‘safe’ by Starmer ally after Natural England ‘blunder’ led to cull fears (opens original article in a new tab)

A close ally of Sir Keir Starmer declared Dartmoor ponies 'safe under this government' after fears arose that a new livestock counting method could lead to a cull. Natural England's approach has sparked concerns among campaigners, but officials stated no cull is recommended or possible.

• A close ally of Sir Keir Starmer declared Dartmoor ponies 'safe under this government'
• Natural England's new livestock counting method raised fears of a cull of semi-wild Dartmoor ponies
• Lord Katz stated Natural England has not recommended a cull and the government would not allow one
• Dartmoor hill ponies have been on the landscape for 4,500 years with numbers dwindling from 6,000 to fewer than 1,000 in 25 years