Piglets have been born on the Doddington Hall Estate

Mangalitza × Tamworth piglets have been born at Wilder Doddington on the Doddington Hall Estate, Lincolnshire’s largest rewilding site. Affectionately known as ‘humbugs’ for their distinctive striped coats, the piglets are already exploring, snuffling and snoozing amongst the birch saplings and long grass.

Pigs play an important role in local ecosystems. Through their natural rootling, foraging and movement, they disturb the ground, create new opportunities for plants and wildlife and help build a rich mosaic of habitats across the landscape.

The piglets are currently in a private area of the estate and are not accessible to the public. A special Wilder Walk on Wednesday 21 October will include the opportunity to see them in their surroundings and learn more about the role grazing animals play in nature recovery at Wilder Doddington.

The Wilder Doddington project launched in June 2021, with a vision to turn intensively farmed arable fields, heavily grazed grassland and woodland into a haven for nature.

To give things a helpful nudge, Wilder Doddington are creating new ponds and wetlands and introducing wild ponies and heritage breed pigs to fulfil the role of missing keystone species. By allowing natural processes to shape the landscape, the soils are already improving and wildlife populations are beginning to thrive.