BUSHY PARK’S DEER CULL TO START ON SEPTEMBER 1
The deer cull will take place in Bushy Park for six weeks from Tuesday 1 September, The Royal Parks has announced.
For visitor safety, vehicle gates will be locked each night from 7pm and the pedestrian gates from 10:30pm.
All gates will be reopened at 8am the following morning. All gates will be open as normal on Saturdays and Sundays.
Bushy Park is home to about 320 red and fallow deer and their presence in the Park dates back to the days of Henry V111 in the sixteenth century.
As a member of The British Deer Society, The Royal Parks takes deer welfare very seriously and all aspects of their welfare are monitored regularly.
In addition, both the society and the Deer Initiative of England and Wales fully endorse humane culling.
The Royal Parks is an expert manager of enclosed deer herds, which are under veterinary supervision.
Deer populations are actively managed to keep herds at a sustainable size and to prevent overcrowding.
Without population control, food would become scarce and more animals would ultimately suffer.
There would also be other welfare issues such as low body fat, malnutrition, high incidence of death from exposure to cold in winter and a build-up of parasites and diseases in deer.