The seemingly endless herd of deer crosses the main road, bringing traffic to a standstill. Two stags trotted along the hospital corridor. A herd of deer has invaded a suburban garden.
A new breed of wildlife video is circulating on social media – and the animals’ generally positive images mean the scenes are likely to delight onlookers.
But many experts say Britain’s deer population is growing largely unchecked, creating serious ecological dangers.
Without any predators, large deer herds could have a “devastating” impact on their environment, according to the Forestry Commission.
Due to the scale of the problem, there are growing calls for wolves, lynx and even bears to be reintroduced to the UK as a means of controlling populations and protecting the country’s nature.
How many deer are there – and what damage can they do?
While reliable numbers for deer are difficult to determine, their numbers are estimated to have increased from around 450,000 in the mid-1970s to between 1.5 million and 2 million today.
According to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra), this number is likely to be higher than at any time in the past 1,000 years.
Defra is one of the organizations highlighting the problems caused by “over” deer grazing, which include damage to crops, woodland, timber management trees and our natural biodiversity.
According to the Forestry Commission, when large numbers of deer graze in woodlands, it reduces plant and animal diversity, affecting the soil and releasing carbon.
Birds are also affected by large deer populations. Research by the British Trust for Ornithology shows that common species such as robins, wrens and blackbirds are less likely to occur in woodland areas with deer, while vulnerable species such as nightjars, nightjars and woodcocks are negatively affected.
How might wolves, bobcats, and bears reduce deer numbers?
Dr Chris Sandom is a lecturer in biology at the University of Sussex with a particular interest in rewilding, or the restoration of key ecological processes through the reintroduction of species.
It’s hard to define how many deer are “too many,” he said — but when deer trample farmland or eat crops, humans and wildlife are in competition.
Reintroduce predators into the deer herd and the deer will face a different type of competition.
Bears are thought to have become extinct in Britain during medieval times, while lynx became extinct around 1,300 years ago. There are various accounts of the last wolf in Britain between the 15th and 18th centuries.
Dr Sandom explained that bringing wolves, lynx and bears back to the UK would not only reduce deer numbers by directly killing them.
Predators create a “landscape of fear” for their prey, which can alter the prey’s behavior and thus slow population growth.
Image: iStock
“Large herbivores are basically wary of those large predators that are running around, and they get more cues that they’re threatened.
“When they spend basically more time being vigilant and watching for who might be sneaking up on them, they’re not feeding as effectively, which means they won’t gain as much weight and they won’t be in as good a condition to breed. , which will lower the birth rate.”
Deer may also be forced to move around more if predators colonize the area and make it a more dangerous environment.
Image: iStock
How much will predators reduce deer numbers?
Dr Sandom said it was difficult to predict whether predator reintroductions would be successful as a measure to control deer populations, and could have a greater or lesser impact over time.
“Predators are not managers of prey populations, they don’t raise prey species. They don’t think ‘Oh, we’re going to kill a few more today; we don’t want to kill too many’.”
He said European research showed the best outcome for reducing deer numbers was the introduction of all three predators.
Read more from Sky News:
Two horses die on first day of Cheltenham Festival
Man with facial tattoos, piercings and beard wants help training guide dogs
Dr Sandom said while the public supported the reintroduction of the predators, some people found the animals frightening, which could deter them from entering the countryside.
Other options for controlling populations include traditional culling methods of shooting animals with rifles, tracking animals for food, and using breeding controls.
But there are no simple, cost-effective solutions. “Trying to reduce deer numbers is very challenging,” Dr. Sandom said.
Last year, then Theresa Coffey told farmers at a National Farmers Union (NFU) agricultural conference that she would not support the reintroduction of wolves and lynx.
“I will not support the reintroduction of species like bobcats and wolves,” she told the Birmingham event.
Follow us on Google news ,Twitter , and Join Whatsapp Group of thelocalreport.in
