Shocking situation Red Deer in "Nature Park" in the Netherlands

Holland&Holland

Well-Known Member
Over the last ten years there has been a lot of controversy about the situation in a 5000 hectare big "Nature" Park owned by the state forestry commision in the Netherlands called Oostvaardersplassen. Several self proclaimed visionairs of this state forestry commision have put in 45 red deer 20 years ago and now there are over 2000 red deer in the park, apart from over a 1000 of wild horses and 550 wild cows. That is about 200 big hooved animals per 100 hectare.
The policy of the state forestry commission is that they only shoot the animal when it is no longer standing on its legs (because that is the closest thing to nature). So when it slowly dies of hunger, in the last day they shoot it. To me that is cruel. Cull them when they are still standing during summer and autumn and sell the meat. Now animals are suffering and when finally shot the carcass is left for the foxes and birds of prey, buried in the ground or burned in a big industrial furnace.
The red deer are fenced in and apart from grass there is only bark to eat because they do not feed the animals at all. And because they are fenced in they die of hunger. Now the landscape in the park looks like the moonsurface, no trees left. It is a summerhabitat, not a winter one. This week politics will get involved but because it is policy it is doubtfull that the situation will change as the state forestry commision had the approval of the majority of the votes in politics. I hate it when politics and policy comes first and the welfare of animals later. It is an experiment to see when red deer populations crash and "regulate" themselves. Pretty sick i think. I enclose some links so you can see the pictures yourself. Beware they are horrible. Is this the nature we want?:oops:

http://www.eenvandaag.nl/binnenland/35738/oostvaardersplassen_oernatuur_of_mislukt_natuurpark_

www.oostvaardersplassen-sterfte.nl
 
That report footage looks truly shocking - I might try and get my Dutch wife to translate, but I fear she will find it too upsetting. It is incredible that animals can be left to die in this way on a Nature Reserve so accessible and visible to the humans with responsibilities to look after it.
We have had similar situations with land owned by the League Against Cruel Sports who have also failed in their management duties, but I don't think we have had anything on this scale.
 
Its not just LACS,

Look at the state the anminals were in at Mccartneys place in Wilts....

T
 
The do gooders and PC idiots have lost sight of the deer being part of the food chain, but not having natural predators the food chain is broken.

These poor beasts should be selectivly culled for the meat to find a natural balance as nature intended.

Brianm
 
Awful to see, surely if you have animals on enclosed land, the owner has a duty of care. Otherwise it would be like me saying that i leave my dogs in the back garden with no human interface, so when they die of starvation, this is nature.. Im sure the RSPCA would have a field day. not even the RSPCA could say that deer management is less humane than what this guy is doing?! I worked out of Lelystad for a few months, never even knew the place was there. Truely shocking to see one animal too weak to stop itself from drowning, then he pulled it out of the water which im sure would prolong its death if it wasnt shot?!
 
I can't remember the specifics, but what is the situation re hunting in holland, is it now more or less stopped?

Surely through EU law this is illegal?
 
I belive that I am correct in saying that in the Netherlands assisted suicide is permitted for those humans who cant cope with a long drawn out painful death. Perhaps a clinic should be set up for the other type of old deers. Truly disgusting.
 
The 45 get to 200 because there was originally enough food to sustain that level, but subsequently deer breed as do the horses and cows and the entire popullation grows, then of course there is not enough food to sustain the increased number of beasts hence the starving and now baron landscape
 
Am I correct in recalling these are the same people that banned rearing game for shooting because it was considered cruel?!

Some of those hinds looked to be not much bigger than a Roe when that guy was kneeling next to them. As for the one that didn't have the strength to lift its head out of the water, word fail me.

Whoever is responsible should be forced to go and actually cull these beasts themselves and see what an unpleasent job that will be for whoever gets it and then locked up. Imagine what would happen if that was found in this country.
 
Supporters and opponents of the countryside in the Oostvaardersplassen tumbling over each other for years. Every winter hundreds of animals die, according to advocates a natural course of events, but according to opponents of animal starvation in a closed nature. EénVandaag that in recent months at various moments, and discovered many animals dying at the end of their wits. For the camera dies a deer that no longer can stand on its feet and into the water. "Where are they now with the ball?" Asks walker Tonny Lenselink wondered. EénVandaag In a revealing report.

Any severe winter, these, put hundreds, sometimes nearly a thousand animals die in nature. According to Forestry Commission will in this way natural selection occurs at the deer, Konik horses and Heck cattle. Moreover, the really poor animals are suffering from time saved by a bullet. Are Oostvaardersplassen, the natural area between Almere and Lelystad in short, successful and modern primeval nature in which the animals should be left alone?
Opponents find it through a railroad gate and enclosed area no more than a park, where animals their natural behavior can not enjoy. In the winter they usually lack in food to another area, but that can not Oostvaardersplassen. Resulting in too many animals on too small a territory that mass starvation and death. "They are deliberately creating animals in need, but no leg sticks out. I think that is pedantic ', says former professor of Animal Law and Dirk Boon.Minister Verburg know yesterday showed that the mortality of large herbivores easy task so far, about seven hundred this winter. EénVandaag's own calculations (based on Forestry Commission figures) reveals that more animals die each day than last year. This winter has so far killed 10 animals per day in previous years there were an average of eight. At the end of winter mortality will therefore not expected to exceed previous years.

Tonight a comprehensive report in which the founder of the countryside in the Oostvaardersplassen, Frans Vera, explaining why the animals should be left alone. Also we walk with critics as Professor Emeritus Veterinary Frankenhuis Maarten, residents and farmers in January Cees Vogelaar, nature lovers and Tonny Lenselink Reinoud van Gent Federal Wildlife Foundation through the area.
 
A problem with situations like this is not with the poor sods which have died but the emaciated ones left which may eventually try to produce a calf.
Those responsible for this debacle should be prosecuted for gross neglect.

HWH.
 
There is enough data on population crashes in the larger cervids without trying to deliberately re-create it. Frans Vera is a very well respected scientist with an awful lot of very good work behind him. Have a look at his stuff on the Bialowecza (wrong spelling probably) forest in Poland. However, this is really very poor indeed. It's not practical to let populations manage themselves in most of Europe so why try to prove the case?

Experiment should be stopped immediately.
 
Horrified and very saddened by that, this must stop now. I'm sure that the animals could be re located and left to have a real 'natural' life. This is barbaric. :(
 
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