Thirty four deer were culled in Phoenix Park in Dublin this week to manage their numbers, the Office of Public Works (OPW) confirmed. 22 females and 12 males were culled with the supervision of a qualified vet.
Such culls take place a number of times each year. The culls are to manage the deer population says the OPW. As there are no natural predators for deer in Ireland, managing their numbers are crucial in order to maintain the balance of the overall herd.
“The deer population in the park is actively managed to keep the herd at a sustainable size. If animals were not removed, food would become scarce and more animals would ultimately suffer.” The OPW told The Journal.
“Without population control, there would be other welfare issues such as low body fat, malnutrition and high incidence of death from exposure to cold in winter. Attempting to maintain too many deer within a restricted park area would soon lead to a build-up of parasites and other pathogens causing disease in the deer.”
Culling of deer and other animals are strongly opposed by animal rights activists and they propose alternate options to control population. The activists call on OPW to transfer these animals to bigger areas or to use contraception.
But according to the OPW, there are no contraceptives licensed for use in free-living deer in Ireland. A spokesperson said the Irish Deer Society and similar associations in the UK ‘fully endorse humane culling as best practice in deer herd management.’