Should we think again before giving in to a political call for deer cull?

BEFORE a trigger is pulled in the latest cull of native Red deer, in Killarney National Park, should the National Parks and Wildlife Service (NPWS) think again, asks Donal Hickey

While most people agree deer numbers, at lowland level especially, have risen in recent years, with trespass on farmland and road accidents being serious issues, a cull seems to be the easy and quick solution. It also looks like a response to political calls rather than an action based on scientific data and a headcount of deer.

The Irish Wildlife Trust (IWT) is pointing to vocal calls for culls of wildlife, from sea gulls to pine martens and deer, as a growing trend in the “verminisation” of native species.