Leading conservation charity, the Scottish Wildlife Trust is giving evidence to the Scottish Parliament’s Rural Affairs Committee on the impacts of deer in Scotland.

The Trust believes that in some parts of Scotland deer numbers are too high and this puts pressure on Scotland’s wildlife and ecosystems because of the damage caused by overgrazing and trampling.

Head of Policy and Planning for the Scottish Wildlife Trust, Dr Maggie Keegan, said: “The Scottish Wildlife Trust welcomes the Rural Affairs, Climate Change and Environment Committee’s decision to take evidence on the impacts of wild deer on biodiversity.

“The  Trust believes that unsustainable grazing, browsing and trampling is one of the key threats to Scotland’s biodiversity, along with climate change, habitat fragmentation, invasive non-native species and pollution.

“The Scottish Wildlife Trust see wild deer as part of flourishing, ecologically functional landscapes across Scotland and we support sustainable deer management.

This can be achieved by members who make up deer management groups working together to set appropriate cull targets for deer, in response to public and private interests.

To read the Scottish Wildlife Trust’s policy on wild deer, please click here.