There are more deer in the UK than at any time since the ice age. In the absence of natural predators deer populations are continuing to expand, threatening biodiversity and causing road traffic accidents and crop damage.
Researchers from the University of East Anglia have attempted to quantify the deer population across land in East Anglia. They find that current approaches to deer management are failing to contain the problem, with a cull of over 50% of deer necessary just to stabilise current populations, and higher culling needed if damage by deer is to be reduced.
The research was conducted in East Anglia, but the findings are equally relevant to deer concentrations across Britain. Would such a policy be acceptable to the public? Would it become more acceptable if verifiable, healthy venison were cheaply and readily available in the shops?
The work is published in Wiley’s Journal of Wildlife Management.
Speakers:
Dr Paul M Dolman, Lecturer in Ecology at the University of East Anglia (UEA)
Dr Kristin Wäber, Research Fellow at UEA