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Animals in the New Forest
New Forest Animals
The New Forest is a place where you can see many things – great vistas, beautiful scenery, old and rugged trees, and plenty of wildlife. There are lots of New Forest animals for you to see. Some of them might get close enough for you to touch, although it is best to leave them alone, but some of them are quite rare and can only be seen under the most perfect circumstances.
The forest isn't a museum though. It is a place that is alive – a place where people work and live, and a place where New Forest animals also thrive. In the Forest it's not uncommon for you to find New Forest Ponies graze alongside cattle as they live in harmony.
These animals graze the land and help to keep the rest of the forest exactly where it should be. The cattle and ponies are found in just about any area of the forest although one must travel deep into the untouched forest to find the wild deer that browse in ancient trees.
The forest is full of a variety of deer species, which usually stay out of site of people, but are bold and daring at night and towards dusk. There are Fallow deer, as well as the Red Deer and the roe deer.
The other New Forest wildlife also includes adders, grass snakes and smooth snakes, who you might just see along the road, or who you might never notice as they blend into the forest floor. The smooth snake is the UK's rarest of snakes, and as with much wildlife the encroachment of modern civilisation into their natural habitats has almost led this species to extinction but with the help of conservation groups this species is gradually increasing in numbers again.
The heath lands of the Forest are an ideal habitat for this species but that said it will be sometime time before the population reaches a satisfactory level. There are also ample groups of frogs and toads and lizards, all basking in the many pools that are around the area.
There is also other rare wildlife to be found in the area, such as the New Forest cicada, which is the only cicada found in Great Britain. Also, the southern damselfly and the mole cricket are both very rare in Britain but can be found in the area.
The New Forest Reptile Centre is a place where you can see first hand the type of reptiles and creatures that are found in the forest. The Centre also offers tours and walking trails into the national park and the forests creatures are abundant on these treks.
The park also has many events each year where patrons can get as close to nature as they'd like. Some of these events are Dawn Chorus Walks, and Deer Watchers. These two events, among many others, allow the public to get close to nature and see all of the Forest animals that they'd like to see.
The best way to see many different wildlife species is to visit the forest at many different times during the year. Different animals will be more abundant in the different seasons, and they will also be in different areas of the forest.
Also, visiting areas in the forest at different times of day is important because this will give you a greater chance to see many of the New Forest animals. For instance, while you might not be able to see them during the day, the dusk will allow you a better chance of seeing deer, bats, and nightjars.
For more information about other animals in the park visit our New Forest Attractions page or browse the attraction menu on the right.
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