A scheme to rewild marshland east
of Amsterdam has been savaged by an official report and sparked public protest
after deer, horses and cattle died over the winter
Patrick
Barkhamin Oostvaardersplassen
Fri 27 Apr
2018 10.41 BSTLast modified on Fri 27 Apr 2018 22.00 BST
It is known as the Dutch
Serengeti, a bold project to rewild a vast tract of land east of Amsterdam. But
a unique nature reserve where red deer, horses and cattle roam free on
low-lying marsh reclaimed from the sea has been savaged by an official report
after thousands of animals starved.
In a blow to the rewilding vision
of renowned ecologists, a special committee has criticised the authorities for
allowing populations of large herbivores to rise unchecked at Oostvaardersplassen, causing
trees to die and wild bird populations to decline.
It follows growing anger in
the Netherlands over
the slaughter of more than half Oostvaardersplassen’s red deer, Konik horses
and Heck cattle because they were starving. After a run of mild winters, the
three species numbered 5,230 on the fenced 5,000-hectare reserve. Following a
harsher winter, the population is now just 1,850. Around 90% of the dead
animals were shot by the Dutch state forestry organisation, which manages the
reserve, before they could die of starvation.
Continued
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