Are wolves the solution to booming deer population?

A video of deer blocking traffic as they hurtle across a road in Lincolnshire has sparked a lively debate over whether wolves should be reintroduced as their top predators.

The dashcam video, which was posted on X by Chris Godfrey and recorded by a friend, shows traffic brought to a standstill as dozens of deer cross the A15 in Lincolnshire on 11 March.

#A15 #Lincolnshire this morning. My friend who filmed it said he estimated two thirds had already crossed before he started recording. #deer @looknorthBBC @ChrisGPackham @_JoelAshton @LincsWildlife pic.twitter.com/M5OHvOgz4U

— Chris (@ChrisGoGodfrey) March 11, 2024

Former Defra adviser and rewilding advocate Ben Goldsmith republished the video, arguing on X that the return of wolves would be the “ideal solution”, as the landscape in food-producing counties in East Anglia “is becoming overwhelmed by deer”.

See also: Charlie Flindt: We need to talk about deer numbers

In a thread, Mr Goldsmith said wolves were now “in every single continental European country… not just in the wilderness, but in some of the most intensely farmed, densely populated regions of Europe.

There were now “more wolves in the Netherlands than there are in Norway”, he claimed.

But critics pointed out that there had been conflict wherever wolves had come into contact with people and farming in Europe.

“Norway has announced a cull, Germany is talking of reopening wolf hunting, Italians are taking matters into their own hands etc,” replied @clywdforest.

Others warned of the threat of wolves attacking people, especially if they were released in densely populated areas.

‘Culling is way forward’ – Batters

Speaking during a debate on the subject on the Today programme on BBC Radio 4, former NFU president and Wiltshire farmer Minette Batters said culling deer was the only option.

She said: “We can’t entertain the idea of reintroducing wolves. It would be a danger to the public, a danger to pets, and it’s proven to take out livestock in serious numbers.

“We need to control the deer population which is absolutely out of control and causing a lot of damage. Culling is the only way forward.”

Mr Goldsmith told Farmers Weekly: “Every one of our European neighbours live alongside lynx and wolves, including counties such as Belgium and the Netherlands which are densely populated and intensively farmed as Britain.

“Co-existence is possible, even for livestock farmers. And it is desirable, not least on the part of farmers growing crops which are being wrecked by Britain’s out-of-control deer population.”

In December, the Lincolnshire Deer Group said a sharp rise in the deer population had led to an increase in the number of animals being hit by vehicles on the county’s roads.

According to the British Deer Society, there are roughly two million deer in the UK, of which one million are in Scotland.