The deer population is currently estimated at around 1.5 million. Researchers from the University of East Anglia suggest harvesting the animals for meat to make a cull ethically and economically acceptable. The Royal Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (RSPCA) commented that any cull must be carried out in a humane and controlled way and be supported by “strong science”.
There are now more deer in the UK than at any time since the last Ice Age.