There are around 320 deer currently in beautiful Bushy Park.

You may well have noticed that pedestrian access is currently restricted to the park as you can no longer enter before 8am.

This is due to the deer cull that takes place every September and November.

Why the deer are culled

The deer in the park are culled for a number of reasons.

Royal Parks, who manage Bushy, say:

"As a member of the British Deer Society, The Royal Parks takes deer welfare very seriously. Deer populations are actively managed to keep herds at a sustainable size.

"If animals were not removed, food would become scarce and more animals would ultimately suffer.

"Without population control there would be other welfare issues such as low body fat, malnutrition and high incidence of death from exposure to cold in winter.

"Attempting to maintain too many deer within a restricted park area would soon lead to a build-up of parasites and other pathogens causing disease in the deer."

Where the opportunity arises to move deer to other deer parks we do so. This opportunity is rare given that wild populations of all species of deer are increasing nationally.

"The British Deer Society and the Deer Initiative of England and Wales fully endorse humane culling as best practice in deer herd management and The Royal Parks is an expert manager of enclosed wild deer herds.

"The deer in the Royal Parks are under veterinary supervision and all aspects of their welfare are monitored regularly."

Why not use deer contraception instead of culling them?

The natural response to the cull is why isn't contraception used instead.

Well that's because no deer contraceptives licensed for use in the UK.

It would also require a significant amount of human intervention for what are still wild animals.

In 2018 just over 80 deer were culled.

When going to the park people are encouraged to stay at least 50m away to the park.

Opposition to culling

There has been protests in opposition to the cull.

Earlier this month protestors locked themselves to the rails of Bushy Park overnight to protest the deer culls.

The want more humane alternatives to the current culling methods.

Royal Parks say a lot more animals would suffer in the long-term if culling did not take place.