Fresh warning issued to visitors against feeding wild New Forest animals

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Feeding and petting the ponies or donkeys became a fineable offence last July. Credit: ITV Meridian

People visiting the New Forest are being warned not to feed or touch the ponies and donkeys that roam the national park.

It follows a number of people being injured and the deaths of several animals given unsuitable food.

Forestry England has issued the alert ahead of the summer as a preventative measure.

Feeding and petting the ponies or donkeys became a fineable offence last July, with the introduction of two Public Space Protection Orders (PSPOs) by New Forest District Council.

Forestry England teams are proactively trying to engage with the public to explain the risks. Credit: ITV Meridian

Anyone caught doing so is liable for a fixed penalty fine of £100, rising to £1,000 following a successful prosecution.

Local residents are concerned that despite the legislation, visitors to the park are not keeping a respectful distance from the animals.

Lance McArdell has lived around Lyndhurst for more than 30 years.

Anyone caught feeding or petting the ponies is liable for a fixed penalty fine of £100. Credit: ITV Meridian

He said: "I've seen a car driving up the road and throwing carrots out of the window.

"It then leads on to ponies being killed on the roads because they associate a car with food.

"Their stomachs are not geared up for digesting carrots and any other, you know, sandwiches, picnics. They survive on grass."

  • Charlotte Belcher, Community Manager for Forestry England:

Charlotte Belcher, Community Manager for Forestry England said: "For a lot of people who aren't local to the area, it's quite novel to cross the cattle grid and be surrounded by these free roaming animals.

"It's an amazing thing to see and experience, but it really is about education and people understanding the consequences.

"If they ingest things that aren't good for them, food that's not natural, they could choke. If it's the wrong shape and size, it's not good for their health in general but, they can also colic, which could be fatal."

Forestry England has put new signage in place around the area and teams are proactively trying to engage with the public to explain the risks.

New Forest District Council says fines are a last resort, but it would much rather prevent distress to animals in the first place.

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