Campaigners call for halt to deer cull

Campaigners are calling for a planned cull of muntjac deer at Holwell Nature Reserve in the Midlands to be cancelled.
The Leicestershire and Rutland Wildlife Trust, which administers the reserve, said that the action was “necessary” to protect wildlife habitats and the 13,000 new trees that have recently been planted there.
However, Holwell residents are concerned that locals will be endangered during the deer shooting process and that other methods, such as fencing, should be used to control the number and distribution of muntjac.
A spokesperson for the trust said: “Any management of deer numbers would only take place on parts of the nature reserve where there is no public access.”
The technical adviser to the British Deer Society, Charles Smith-Jones, said: “Although members of the public may sometimes be unnecessarily concerned about culling activity, good communication is always a great help in putting fears to rest.  At the very least, they should be reassured that a responsible deer stalker would never discharge a rifle wherever there is any risk of public presence, and will always ensure that there is a safe backstop for the bullet at all times.”