LIVESTOCK AND WILDLIFE
Free-Roaming Animals
Our herds of ponies, cattle, pigs and deer are, to essentially, wild-living animals. We do not feed or shelter them, and they are free to roam wherever they choose.
Most importantly, we need to protect their natural flight distance for both their own and the public’s safety.
Please observe the following rules:
Keep dogs under control, and preferably on a lead, at all times. If animals are on the footpath and seem unwilling to move, go around them, giving them a wide berth
Do not approach or try to pet or feed the animals
Take particular care not to get between a mother and her offspring
Please adhere to all posted notices and alerts, particularly during the deer cull. Every year our deer populations are culled. With no natural predator, it is essential to limit the stocking density to ensure all our animals are able to thrive outside all year round.
Wildlife
Please help us care for our wildlife – do not cause damage or disturbance. Leave rocks, stone, plants and trees as you find them and take care not to disturb wildlife including birds that nest on the ground.
Stay alert. Keep your eyes peeled for any wildlife. Any habitat can be a home for wildlife and many of our most vulnerable species are very good at hiding themselves in plain sight.
Stick to footpaths. Keeping to the public paths will give nature space to breathe — and ensure we don’t disturb any breeding animals hiding.
Don’t disturb breeding species. Short, sharp alarm calls, birds with full beaks or coming unusually near to you usually mean you are too close to young, which can often be very well hidden even if they are almost underfoot! If you see any of this behaviour, you should back up the way you came to avoid any risk of disturbing or injuring young, being careful to watch where you tread.
Ticks
There is a small chance you could pick up a tick while visiting Knepp.
To minimize the risk keep your skin covered (wear long trousers and long-sleeved shirt) when passing through areas of rough vegetation and tuck your trousers into your socks if necessary.
At the end of the day completely check over your body for ticks.  If you should find a tick, remove it as soon as possible as some ticks can carry diseases.
For more information about ticks and safe tick removal please use one of the links below:
Purple-Emperor Season
We are the biggest breeding hotspot in the UK for this stunning butterfly and welcome all Purple Emperor enthusiasts during the display season (usually around the last two weeks of June and the first two weeks of July).
The season can be variable depending on weather conditions etc., so do check the season’s progress on local butterfly forums before you come to avoid disappointment – especially the Purple Emperor Blog.
