DEER AND PRESENT DANGER
Creatures branded a blight on landscape
The Queen has been criticised by green groups for not killing enough red deer on Balmoral estate.
Activists say the monarch and neighbouring owners are letting too many of the animals breed, which harms the environment and worsens climate change.
Deer numbers in Scotland are at record levels, and campaigners say the animals eat young trees before they can grow.
They added that over-grazing by deer damages the soil and increases the risk of landslides and flooding.
Balmoral is one of five privately owned estates in the Caenlochan Glen area of south Aberdeenshire.
Between 2003 and 2016, the deer population at the Queen’s summer retreat rose by 16 per cent to 3367. But in the same period, the numbers culled fell by 12 per cent.
Environmental campaigner Dave Morris, a former director of Ramblers Scotland, said: “Estates like Balm oral are not culling enough deer.
“We have major problems in Scotland with too many deer and the effect it’s having on the natural habitat.
” I think Caenlochan is the worst area for deer in Scotland and Balmoral is part of the problem.
“Balmoral have failed to take the necessary steps to reduce excessive numbers.
“They’ve been given loads of advice over 20 years and have been advised by many experts to reduce deer numbers.
“It’s time the Royal Family, if they are serious about climate change, start reducing the numbers of deer.” Landowners such as the Queen enter into voluntary“control agreements” to cull deer.
But green campaigners say that power over the process should pass to a government body such as Scottish Natural Heritage (SNH) who would bill them for the cost.
Reports by SNH and the Scottish Government’s Deer Working Group have highlighted a lack of deer culling by the Caenlochan estates.
An SNH study last September found that the estates had some of the highest population sin Scotland, and owners had failed to meet targets to reduce deer numbers by 57 per cent. Critics say estate owners are refusing to kill enough deer because that would reduce the number of stags and the commercial value of estates. Many rely on money from wealthy shooting parties.
Morr i s sa id : “Deer a re a community resource, not a private possession subject to exploitation. The right to determine the population level of each species must be transferred to a government body.
“They could carry out the culls and recoup the costs through sale of the venison and charging landowners with the remainder of the costs.”
Nick Kempe, ex-president of the Mountaineering Council of Scotland, added: “How land at Balmoral is managed has implications, because other big landowners follow the example set by the Royal Family. High deer numbers are harming protected areas and almost every other form of wildlife, preventing tree regeneration and helping to flood the valleys below.”
Scottish Natural Heritage director Robbie Kernahan said: “The estates in the South Grampian and Caenlochan area, including Balmoral, have been working with SNH to reduce deer numbers.”
The Scot t ish Government said issues over deer numbers in Caenlochan were matters for SNH. Buckingham Palace refused to comment.