Northumberland National Park has reintroduced a campaign encouraging visitors and dog walkers to be careful and considerate when visiting.
The park, which was voted the UK's favourite national park in a Which? survey last year, has placed new signage to ask visitors to keep their dogs on leads and under control to help ensure farm animals and wildlife are left undisturbed. Early spring is a crucial time of year for farms and wildlife, as there are many pregnant sheep and young animals living in the Park, as well as the arrival of several species of ground-nesting birds including oystercatchers, lapwing and curlew.
With the arrival of spring, dog visits are on the increase just as sheep are at their most vulnerable. At the same time, ground-nesting birds could lose a successful brood should they be disturbed.
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More than three quarters of Northumberland National Park is farmed, with the majority of farms involved in sheep and cattle production. At the southern end of the park, lambing has been underway since the end of February and is expected to continue until the end of May in northern areas.
The reintroduction of the 'Take The Lead' campaign comes just weeks after NFU Mutual estimated that £95,000 worth of farm animals were killed or injured by dogs in the North East last year, and issued guidance on keeping dogs under control in the countryside.
Margaret Anderson, Senior Ranger at Northumberland National Park Authority, said: “Early spring is an important time for farm animals and wildlife. Over recent years we have welcomed more and many new visitors to the Park, and whilst we welcome this, it is always important to ask visitors to follow the countryside code and keep dogs on a lead, especially at this crucial time of year for livestock and wildlife.
"We ask that visitors stick to designated paths, close gates, and keep dogs on leads and take extra care near livestock, as dogs can easily scare or harm farm animals, so please keep a safe distance."
