Durrell Trust: doubling down on support for deer stalking
Deer stalking allowed on Dalnacardoch Estate "for a price".
The Durrell Wildlife Conservation Trust (DWCT) was in the mainstream media last year, when Trust supporters and an ex-director spoke out against DWCT's support for deer stalking in Scotland. We thought we'd see if media attention had changed the Trust's position. The answer is a resounding no!
DWCT is a well-known Jersey-based conservation charity, founded by the popular late British author and naturalist Gerrald Durrell.
Last year, ex-Durrell director Paul Masterton spoke out to the BBC, saying that the Durrell Trust had "travelled so far from its roots and its values". His criticism stemmed from the involvement of DWCT in a rewilding project at Dalnacardoch Estate in Perthshire, Scotland - which allowed deer stalking on the estate.
Masterton said at the time:
"My immediate concern is that Durrell is enabling hunting to continue on this estate they are now leasing.
Masterton explained that he was not talking about culling, but about "trophy hunting and blood sport" where "people pay a licence fee where they stalk and kill animals". He concluded:
I just don't understand how that can be part of Durrell and fit with their values."
River Garry at Dalnacardoch, image via Anne Burgess (Wikimedia Commons)
Deer "management" or profiteering from blood sports?
We contacted DWCT to see if their position had shifted since their Trust hit the mainstream news. The answer was not at all. Instead, DWCT has doubled down on their highly questionable argument that their tolerance of deer stalking at Dalnacardoch is about culling, and that they have deer welfare at heart in all of this. A spokesperson from the Durrell Trust said:
“Managing deer is a vital part of how many Scottish estates run. Since there are no natural predators around, responsible culling is needed to keep the ecosystem in balance. At Dalnacardoch, Durrell aims to restore native woodland, recover peatland, and increase the diversity of plants and wildlife. To do this it is essential that we reduce grazing pressure by deer and other herbivores.
Our deer management plans are based on evidence and advice from experts, take account of established local practices, with deer welfare central to decision making, and are delivered by a professional team.
Deer need to be culled in a responsible way and allowing competent stalking allows us to work towards our nature restoration goals and supports jobs in the rural community." [emphasis added]
Up to an estimated 200,000 deer are culled every year in Scotland, and the Scottish government want to kill another 50,000 more. But is this really all about being "responsible" and looking after "deer welfare"? We don't think so.
A smokescreen to protect a lucrative source of income
It seems like culling is just a smokescreen to protect a lucrative income stream for the estate. Dalnacardoch was already charging £400 to shoot a stag in 2012. The tourist industry in Scotland has become increasingly centred around attracting people who want to pay to shoot wildlife in Scotland, most coming from outside the country. Scotland's estates are becoming a sought-after experience for rich blood sports enthusiasts worldwide.
So the Trust's argument that this is about deer "management" rings pretty hollow. This is about making money for the Estate, plain and simple.
Continuing to work alongside deer stalkers at Dalnacardoch wasn't the only option open to DWCT. For example, conservation organisation Scottish Wildlife Trust (SWT) has just bought the Inverbroom estate near Ullapool in north-west Scotland. SWT is planning a rewilding project on the Estate, and crucially it plans to end grouse shooting and deer stalking at Inverbroom.
Many ecologists in Scotland have championed the reintroduction of wolves into the Cairngorms region where Dalnacardoch is situated. This would naturally reduce the red deer population. However, the deer stalking and grouse shooting industry has vigorously opposed this. Wolves don't feature anywhere in Durrell's published plans for its 100-year rewilding project at Dalnacardoch, despite DWCT's experience in reintroducing species to different regions, including efforts to bring back wildcats to Wales.
A lack of openness
Protect the Wild spoke to a DWCT volunteer and member, who wished to remain anonymous. The Trust member told us that he was concerned about the Trust leadership's lack of openness about deer stalking at Dalnacardoch.
He said that DWCT Head of Operations Graeme Dick had confirmed that deer stalking would be allowed on the Estate "for a price".
But when it came to DWCT's 2023 AGM, the then Durrell Chair Rob Kirkby denied that paid stalking was taking place. When challenged however, the Trust apologised, and confirmed in writing that this, in fact, wasn't true.
The Durrell member also pointed out that there was no mention of deer stalking at any of the 'Durrell Lectures' held in Scotland, London and Jersey in 2024.
So it seems as if, prior to Masterton blowing the whistle, the Trust was trying to keep its complicity in deer stalking under wraps.
To be honest, this should come as no surprise. DWCT has been treating its members with disdain of late. There have been widely publicised issues of bullying and misogyny at the Trust, as well as animal welfare concerns at DWCT's Jersey Zoo, with Jersey Zoo boss Lesley Dickie resigning in 2023. When members tried to challenge these issues at the organisation's 2024 AGM they were told by Chair Matthew Hatchwell: “If any members feel they cannot support our leadership as we enter this new period in Durrell’s history, we encourage them to reflect on whether a Durrell membership is right for them.”
Inflicting suffering
Protect the Wild was contacted by another anonymous source about the Trust, who also works in the field of conservation. He is outraged that the Durrell Trust is persisting with its support of deer stalking. He told us:
"Allowing rich people to go out and shoot red deer for fun is just wrong on every level. If a deer cull was needed professionals should be hired to carry it out quickly and humanely. Amateurs are well known to inflict awful wounds and suffering on deer which then die slowly. An organisation like Durrell Wildlife Conservation Trust should not be continuing with deer stalking on its land."
It’s disappointing that a charity like DWCT is making itself complicit in this cruel blood sport, ignoring the concerns of its supporters and members. Protect the Wild would like to urge the Durrell Trust to change their policy, and take a stand against the shooting industry.
Read more about Deer and the Law on our Protectors of the Wild page here.
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