Tag Archives: deer

This morning.

Further to the killing this week of 34 deer in the Phoenix Park  as part of a ‘managed cull’ by the Office of Public Works (OPW)…

…John Carmody, Of Animal Rights Action Network (ARAN), writes:

‘Phoenix Park is fast becoming a bloodbath for the intelligent and sensitive deer population who have lived and thrived in that park for centuries but are now lethally targeted only to end up on restaurant plates

We call on President Michael D. Higgins to come out and oppose the killing of these creatures that are literally roaming in his backyard, he’s been a known advocate against hunting over the years so he can no longer remain silent.

Is deer culling effective? Is hunting effective? No. Starvation and disease are unfortunate, but they are nature’s way of ensuring that the strong survive. Natural predators help keep prey species strong by killing the only ones they can catch—the sick and weak.

Hunters, however, kill any animal they come across or any animal whose head they think would look good mounted above the fireplace—often the large, healthy animals needed to keep the population strong.

And hunting creates the ideal conditions for overpopulation. After hunting season, the abrupt drop in population leads to less competition among survivors, resulting in a higher birth rate.’

RollingNews

Um.

Anyone?

This morning.

Phoenix Park, Dublin.

Ruairi Ginty (above) posts a letter to Rudolf as increasingly large numbers of visitors are causing undue stress on the park’s wild deer. As an alternative to feeding the deer,park staff have set up a number of post boxes for children to drop off their letters to Rudolf.

Leah Farrell/RollingNews

Um.

Yesterday.

Unspecified forest, County Wicklow.

A comfy high chair shooting platform used to kill wild deer.

According to the Irish Times last year: ‘Wicklow accounts for over a third of all deer shot by licensed hunters in Ireland in the last hunting season, and a high concentration of deer in certain areas has been linked to outbreaks of TB.’

The deer hunting season began on September 1.

Eamonn Farrell/Rollingnews

Previously: Deer culling programme in Wicklow to intensify