Highland cows have been removed from a nature reserve to protect them from “silly” behaviour by social media tourists.
Visitors to Hothfield Heathlands nature park in Ashford, Kent, had been told to keep 30ft away from the cattle but the warnings were largely ignored.
The animals were transported to an undisclosed location before the bank holiday weekend as staff were expecting an influx of visitors.
Kent Wildlife Trust said the cows had become distressed by the amount of attention they were receiving and could not lie down or rest without intrusion.
Alison Ruyter, wilder grazing lead at the trust, said there was a sudden surge in visitors to the nature reserve after a video of the cows went viral.
She said: “People suddenly arrived about four or five weeks ago. We were getting a lot of visitors who were clearly not used to being out in the countryside.
“People only wanted to get that viral selfie or viral video rather than enjoy the natural landscape.”
One TikTok video showing a woman petting the animals has had more than 300,000 views. Another, with more than 30,000 views, was titled “If you love Highland cows, this is the place for you”.
Ms Ruyter added: “We were hoping to see numbers tailing off, but last weekend numbers spiked and we saw some really silly behaviour.
“We saw people putting their young children very close to the large animals and we were worried about how much pressure the animals would be under.
“They could never lie down or rest because people were constantly getting right into their personal space.”
The cows at the 200-acre Hothfield Heathlands have been used as working livestock to manage the reserve by grazing.
The nature reserve’s website now reads: “Note that the Highland cows have been removed from site for the time being due to increasing pressures on them.”
Ian Rickards, the area manager, said: “The constant pressure will be affecting the animals’ ability to behave naturally.
“Also, the effect of hundreds of people walking off paths across sensitive habitat will be damaging the wildlife the site is designated for.”
The trust said stroking the animals posed a risk to both visitors and the cattle.
Several residents and park visitors were upset by the announcement, posting on social media: “Why can’t people just admire from a safe distance!”
Jo Harber said: “Unfortunately, if you look on TikTok so many people are posting videos of these beautiful animals, they are not there to be used for likes.”
Taz Kenward, a wildlife rescuer who regularly walks her dog in the Heathlands, said it was “sad they’ve needed to be moved because selfish people want to touch and get selfies with them”.
She added: “It seems people think they have the right to touch animals that do not belong to them.
“I do blame public social media for these unacceptable behaviours towards animals. Those with a genuine passion for animals would not be doing this.”
Earlier this year three people had to be rescued after running into difficulty while looking for Highland cows that had gone viral on social media.
The group became lost in the dark on Butser Hill in Hampshire and had to be rescued by the fire service.
Hothfield Heathlands is one of 85 nature reserves and sites managed by the Kent Wildlife Trust.