Rewilding area
Alamy Stock Photo
What is rewilding?
Rewilding is an innovative vision of nature conservation and ecological restoration that contributes to rural development, while generating more heterogeneous territories with greater biodiversity. Through rewilding, we are searching for the restoration of lost ecological processes, so that nature recovers its balance and can lead its way as it has done for thousands of years.
The Importance of natural grazing
Natural grazing by large herbivores such as horses and cattle is essential in the restoration of healthy ecosystems. They help to decrease plant biomass in the landscape, thus reducing the risk of wildfires. As well, large herbivores grazing boost the growth of a greater number of plant species, which contributes to overall biodiversity, and open up new spaces, which means natural forest management.
Juan Carlos Muñoz Robredo / Rewilding Europe
The Serrano horses
The Serrano horses that inhabit Dehesa de Solanillos mounts are an endangered native breed from the Spanish Central mountains. They are semi-wild animals that are fully adapted to this type of landscape, where they do not need human intervention to feed, and to the climate of the area.
Juan Carlos Muñoz Robredo / Rewilding Europe
Why are they in Dehesa de Solanillos?
After the great fire that occurred in this mount in 2005, Serrano horses are playing an important role in this landscape. With their grazing and movements, they open up vegetation for many other species of animals and plants that need more light to grow. Thus, a more diverse and resilient space to the threats of climate change is favoured. In addition, there are very few specimens of mountain horses left in Spain, which makes the Dehesa de Solanillos a privileged place to watch them and learn how they live in the wild.
Precautions
Do not touch or feed the animals
Keep your dog on a leash
Maintain a minimum distance of 50 meters
Danger, do not touch or pass the barriers