Twenty Dartmoor ponies on Saturday arrived in Norfolk to assist with the habitat management of Norfolk Wildlife Trust's important heaths and valley mires.

The ponies are from five different Dartmoor pony moorland breeders. They range in age from a year to seven years old, both males and females and will join the rest of the herd in delivering NWT's conservation grazing programme; improving, restoring and managing fen and lowland heathland and dry acid grassland.

This benefits a range of biodiversity action plan species, including Norfolk flapwort, silver-studded blue butterfly, stone curlew and nightjar; species that rely upon grazing to provide the best conditions to encourage and sustain populations. 

The Dartmoor pony is now officially recognised as an endangered species.

The ponies were sourced from Dartmoor Pony Heritage Trust (DPHT), with funds from Natural England's Countdown 2010 and Biffaward.

The main goal of the DPHT is to preserve the traditional type of single colour Dartmoor pony, known as the Dartmoor Heritage pony, the foundation stock for all Dartmoors worldwide.

Charity manager Dru Butterfield said: "This is a perfect partnership and we are thrilled that Norfolk Wildlife Trust has extended its investment in the Heritage Dartmoor.

'The ponies have proved they are good at their job as conservation grazers and are hardy and placid. By choosing to buy more Heritage Dartmoors, NWT is actively supporting the breed and the way of life of Dartmoor pony keepers.'

Norfolk Wildlife Trust grazing officer Mel Slote said: 'This is another great opportunity for us to protect Norfolk's biodiversity and help secure the future of a vulnerable native pony.

'It is important to maintain the ponies' wildness, because if they become too tame they can become overly-friendly to the public on our nature reserves rather than carry out important conservation grazing.'

The new additions increase Norfolk Wildlife Trust's Dartmoor pony herd to sixty-three.