FIRST the threatened badger cull.

Then horse meat. Now it’s the proposed deer cull, needed apparently because there has been a population explosion among deer.

I love wildlife. I visit the West Country as often as I can. The woodlands are numerous and full of birds, plants and animals as well as red deer. From what I have learnt, the best way to protect young saplings is to surround them with deer-proof fencing until they are mature enough to survive deer presence. It is a pretty common sight in some parts of the country.

Also, it depends which plants, birds and animals one wants to flourish. For instance, the Pied Flycatcher likes the open woodland where deer have been, as do numerous other birds and insects; others, though, like undergrowth.

One thing is certain. It is a miracle that any animals survive in this country because there are so many people determined to destroy them.

Marjorie Embling, Crook.