Decade of rewilding in Mols Bjerge offers key lessons as ownership changes

A decade-long rewilding experiment in Denmark’s Mols Bjerge, led by Aarhus Natural History Museum, has demonstrated how free-roaming horses and cattle can restore natural ecosystems—though challenges remain as new owners take over, reports DR.

Since 2016, the project has allowed herds of horses and cattle to graze freely year-round across the Djursland landscape without supplemental feeding or shelter. The goal was to recreate a wilder, self-sustaining nature through natural grazing patterns.

With ownership now transferring to new hands, senior researcher Camilla Fløjgaard has assessed the project’s outcomes. While the approach successfully fostered biodiversity and natural habitat regeneration, early reports indicate the incoming owners may need to provide winter feeding—a shift from the original hands-off philosophy.

The experiment has shown that large herbivores can shape landscapes with minimal human intervention, but adapting to climate fluctuations and ensuring animal welfare remain ongoing considerations.