Series three of Tales of a Nuffield Scholar continues 🎙️ This series is exploring some of the biggest challenges, innovations and conversations shaping agriculture today, and this time we’re discussing a topic that really does make my blood boil, livestock attacks 🐑
I was joined by Dan Jones, a good friend of mine and fellow Nuffield Scholar from my own cohort. Dan farms sheep on the Great Orme in North Wales, managing around 1,000 acres of incredibly important land for biodiversity and conservation, while also dealing with the challenges of having hundreds of thousands of visitors passing through the farm every year.
We spoke about Dan’s Nuffield journey, which took him across the world exploring the future of upland sheep farming and how food production, nature conservation and climate change can work together. From Brazil and Borneo to Patagonia and Japan, Dan found that farming is about far more than producing food. It also plays a huge role in protecting culture, communities and even language 🌍
There were some incredible stories from his travels too, including finding himself on horseback in southern Chile helping four shepherds move 23,000 sheep between pastures, despite barely having ridden a horse in 25 years! 🚜
But the main focus of this episode was livestock attacks, something Dan unfortunately knows far too much about. In 2024 alone, he experienced 12 separate incidents resulting in sheep deaths. We spoke about the emotional and financial impact these attacks have on farmers, the distress caused to livestock even when there are no visible injuries and why Dan believes the term livestock worrying simply does not reflect the seriousness of what happens.
We also discussed NFU Mutual’s research showing that farm animals worth an estimated £1.95 million were severely injured or killed in dog attacks last year, an increase of 10%. Their survey of 1,407 dog owners also found that one in 20 admitted their dog had chased livestock, yet 72% were not actively taking steps to prevent it.
Dan shared some genuinely upsetting experiences, from sheep being chased over cliffs to dealing with dog owners who had never imagined their pet could harm another animal. We spoke about responsible countryside access, the importance of keeping dogs under proper control and how difficult it can be to educate people about the consequences of what might initially seem like harmless behaviour.
One thing that really stood out was Dan explaining how repeated attacks have almost made him accustomed to something that should never be considered normal. Behind every incident is a farmer who has spent years caring for those animals, and that emotional impact is something we really need to speak about more openly.
We finished by reflecting on his Nuffield experience and his advice to anyone thinking of applying. Find something you’re genuinely passionate about, remain open to where the journey takes you and make the most of every opportunity 🌱
Thank you to NFU Mutual for their support of this project.
Enjoy! 🙂
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