Cows controlled with GPS tracker which plays Waltzing Matilda - watch below

Farmers are controlling cows with a GPS tracker that plays Waltzing Matilda when they get too close to a virtual fence. 

Blue Carbon Farming in Steart, Somerset, has begun working with the Wildlife and Wetlands Trust (WWT) to allow cattle to graze in wetlands and saltmarsh for the first time in 30 years. Andy Darch, 39, founded the company in 2023 with co-owners Matt Hilton and Sam Passmore, and says that the experience has been a "fantastic opportunity."

Wetlands and saltmarsh had been thought to be too dangerous for cattle to graze, due to their terrain and proximity to the sea. However, farmers can now use an app and Nofence collars to track where the cows are and warn them away from danger with music. If a cow gets near to the "virtual fence", a boundary determined by the farmers, its collar will play the tune Waltzing Matilda to warn it away from the area.

Andy said: "Cattle are seen as not being very good for the environment, so we’re trying to show what you can do with cattle grazing. We can manage where the cattle are grazing, so we can keep them away from areas with certain foliage. The healthier the wetland is, the more benefit it will do for the local wildlife and the flora and fauna."