Visitors to the New Forest face being fined up to £1,000 for petting ponies and for lighting campfires and barbecues, as part of measures to tackle antisocial behaviour.
The new rules, approved by New Forest district council, ban the petting and feeding of animals out of concern for their wellbeing and to prevent them from becoming aggressive.
Breaching the public space protection orders, which are to come into force from 1 July, could lead to a fixed-penalty notice of £100 or a criminal prosecution with a maximum fine of £1,000.
A spokesperson for the local authority in Hampshire said: “Although the vast majority of people enjoying the forest do so with due regard to the New Forest Code, by making these PSPOs the council expect a reduction in antisocial behaviour associated with wildfires and barbecues on the forest, and the feeding and petting of forest animals, all of which are detrimental to the local community.
“Formal enforcement will be used proportionately, and there will be information issued about these new restrictions and clear signage will be in place.”
One member of the public who responded to a survey on the proposals wrote: “Ponies and donkeys that have been fed by members of the public [are] becoming more aggressive in seeking food from people because they become conditioned to expect feeding.”
On the risk of fires in the forest, another person wrote: “I am extremely concerned about the likelihood of a heath fire causing terrible damage and danger to animals including the wildlife.
“With ancient woodland no longer cleared, the forest floor is strewn with timber that would effectively act like a bonfire and might prove very difficult to extinguish. The effects would be devastating to the ecology of the area.”
Last summer, fire services across the UK highlighted the dangers of disposable barbecues being used in public parks and open spaces, which were leading to grass and open land fires during the heatwave.
