Dartmoor ponies to be painted blue in bid to cut road deaths

Dartmoor ponies are to painted with a reflective blue stripe in a bid to cut the amount of road deaths.

The Dartmoor Livestock Protection Society (DLPS) scheme is being backed by the national park authority, and will see the blue stripe of paint be decorated with reflective beads so it will be "unmissable" under headlights.

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Blue paint has already been placed on two privately-owned ponies to see how durable it is.

According to the Daily Telegraph, Karla McKechnie, livestock protection officer for the DLPS, said around 60 animals had been killed on roads across the moor so far this year.

She said the trial was in its early days, but was "going well", telling the Daily Mail: 'We've trialled it on two ponies so far and all seems to be going well.

"We hope to apply it to all the livestock in the area but need to work out how best to do that. The fact sheep, for example, have a coat that grows outwards is something we need to take into account.

"All these animals graze beside two very busy, unfenced roads, so really anything has to help their safety."

Rob Steemson, Dartmoor National Park's head ranger, said the authority "fully supports the project to reduce the number of road deaths", but added that more attention needed to be paid by drivers.

He told the BBC: "These horrible incidents would not happen if motorists drove with greater care and anticipated that Dartmoor grazing stock regularly wander on to the roads."

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