Gelderland to press ahead with deer cull

Gelderland province is to press ahead with plans to shoot most of a herd of 25 red deer to ensure not too many animals use a new wildlife bridge over a motorway and railway, despite a storm of angry reactions.


The new bridge is to be opened shortly and farmers on the other side are worried the deer will damage their crops. The province agreed with farmers before the bridge was built that measures would be taken to reduce potential damage.
The animal rights party PvdD says this means 15 of the 25 deer in the herd will be shot dead. Dutch natural heritage organisation Natuurmonumenten has now called for the opening of the bridge to be delayed to allow all the options to be properly examined.
Provincial officials told the Telegraaf they regret the link that has been made between the bridge and the cull and that deer will not be shot in the vicinity.
‘It is fanastic there are red deer in the Veluwe and we want to keep it that way,’ said Jan Jacob van Dijk, the council executive in charge of nature management. However, nature management is a question of balance, he said.
Deer cull planned in case too many use wildlife bridge
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