A Dutch park of natural sand dunes may introduce predators such as wolves or wildcats to control its overpopulation of deer, a local official said on Wednesday.
The park’s management company, Waternet, “has made some study proposals. One of them is to introduce predators,” said Marjolijn Goethem, a spokesperson for the local commune west of Amsterdam where the park is located.
“But other scenarios have also been proposed, like selective hunting, the use of contraceptive medicines, the installation of higher fences to prevent animals from escaping, or simply to do nothing,” she added.
About 1 500 deer populate the area, where water is treated by sand filtration.
In 2006, they caused 13 road accidents after jumping over the park’s fences and entering nearby urban areas.
Waternet predicts that the deer population, lacking a natural enemy, is growing by 30% each year.
The local council is due to study the various options and make a decision in several months. — AFP