Hunters have now shot 922 red deer living in the Oostvaardersplassen nature reserve – over half the total destined to be culled, the forestry commission has confirmed.

Of the dead deer, 515 have been cleared for human consumption and their meat is being sold online. More than 12,000 people are on the waiting list for an order, the Volkskrant reported on Wednesday.

At the same time, wardens are planting 325 new trees and 11,000 bushes to improve the habitat in the reserve, which has been depleted by over-grazing.

The final legal obstacle to the mass cull of some 1,830 deer on the reserve was removed in December when judges in Lelystad threw out objections against the shooting permits

Three nature organisations had gone to to court in an effort to have the permits ruled illegal, saying the noise of the shooting would disturb birds, including sea eagles.

The cull was prompted because some experts say the reserve has become overcrowded with large mammals. More than half the 5,230 deer, ponies and cattle living on the reserve near Almere died last winter – most of which were shot by forestry commission staff because they were starving.

Large mammals were introduced in the reserve in the 1980s and 1990s in what has proved to be a controversial move. Reserve wardens hoped that the deer and ponies would eat young shoots, keeping the area open so it will attract geese and other wetland birds.

In the original plan, the reserve was to be linked to the Veluwe region, but that was scrapped as part of budget cuts. The province has been in charge of the reserve since 2016 and a majority of provincial councillors want to open the area up to tourism.