The OPW has confirmed to The Avondhu that the most recent cull of deer at Doneraile Park involved the death of 30 animals, out of a herd of 130 sika and fallow deer.
The animals were shot by a qualified vet who is paid a fee per animal culled, on top of a callout fee: the OPW declined to say how much the vet was paid in total.
The vet is entitled to take the carcasses, and where they have a resale value, this is deducted from the vet’s fee. The difference in recent years, say the OPW, is about €200 and offers value for money as it ‘avoids a situation where it would be necessary to pay for a culling service and a separate carcass removal service’.
Full story in this week’s Print & Digital Edition
