Tom Cackett, director of deer management company Oxon Deer Ltd was kind enough to sit down with me and discuss deer management, more specifically shooting deer and why it's necessary in the UK. It's a fascinating insight into a complex topic. I know some will find the topic unsavory or even distressing. But I urge you to listen, as it highlights the realities of nature conservation, the grey areas that don't fit neatly in a box and the necessity for humans to step in and correct some of our previous mistakes if we are to preserve biodiversity.
Did you know that four of our six resident deer species in the UK are not native to these shores? Have you considered the ethical, animal welfare and human health impacts of eating wild game versus intensively farmed meat? Is deer hunting just satisfying a primitive blood lust in those who carry it out, or is there a more noble underlying motivation in keeping deer populations healthy and managing our landscapes? All these issues and more are discussed.
We also talk about a new rewilding project Tom is involved with and the rewilding movement's argument that instead of continuing to shoot deer we should just reintroduce their natural predators like lynx, wolves and bear to the UK landscape.
It may be a controversial topic, but it's super interesting to explore.
Sean's Wild Life podcast is produced by Sean McCormack, co-produced and edited by Thomas Ntinas. Title track 'A Wild Life' kindly composed and donated by Mark Rose.
All costs of production have been self funded. If you've enjoyed this episode and would like to tip me by buying me a coffee you can do so here: https://www.buymeacoffee.com/seanswildlife.
If you would like to sponsor a future episode of Sean's Wild Life please email drseanmccormack@gmail.com and visit www.drseanmccormack.com to learn more about Sean's work.
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