From dusk until 8am in the morning, members of the public have been locked out of Bushy Park. This is because of the annual deer culls that occur in the grounds. A deer cull is a method of reducing population of deer in parks in England, such as Bushy and Richmond Park. Firearms are in use during these killings, and for this reason the gates are closed off to public. The population is cut down to ensure that competition between deer (for food) is quelled. Although the Royal Parks establishment believes that culls are vital to the upkeep of their parks, they spark much controversy, and often the cull is targeted by animal rights activists and charities.

Over the many years that this has taken place, the Royal Parks society has received a lot of backlashes because of the numbers  of deer killed in the process of a cull. There are those who are unaware of the Deer Culls taking place yearly, however many who understand it feel that alternative methods of deer population decrease could be explored. Contraceptives, even though they are not licensed in the UK due to insufficient testing, are a more humane method. This would be done by injecting the deer with certain vaccines that would slow down the rate of reproduction.

Acts of protest are not rare when it comes to this occurrence. In 2019, animal rights protestors formed a human chain around the gates of the park before the deer cull. The same charity (PETA UK) slammed the royal parks after members of the charity witnessed deer being killed “brutally” and found to be suffering after they were shot. The charity explained that the hunters used to kill these deer may not always have pinpoint accuracy. The bullet could leave the creatures dying slowing for up to 2 hours.

On the other hand, deer, if competition is increased, can be seen as a danger to humans. They are already very territorial beings. There have been numerous acts of violence from these creatures, as a result of increased competition or angst (often during rutting season). It is for this reason that some method of population control is employed.

Whether the method of controlling deer numbers in England royal parks is humane, alternative methods are scarce. The Royal Parks Institute believes that if the competition of food between more deer was increased, the whole park, and members of the public could suffer in the long run. For now, the deer cull is a necessary evil.