The fence was placed shortly after the construction of the ecoduct because there was concern that the excessively large deer population from the AWD would flow into the National Park. Now that the population has become manageable through, among other things, culling, the gate can finally open for the fallow deer.
Willem campaigned for years against the shooting of deer and did not understand the fence in the middle of the ecoduct. “Those bridges were built to give the animals more space. Well not!” He is happy that the animals are now given space.
Forest ranger Martin Jonker is also satisfied with the decision. “It indicates that we are at the target position of the Fallow Deer.” He understands very well that many people find such a fence in the middle of an ecoduct strange.
Shooting continues
The first deer can already be seen near the bridge and they are slowly sniffing out their new habitat, but that does not mean that the danger has passed. “Management does not stop with the removal of the fence,” says Jonker. “But it is now much lower than it used to be.”
The only barrier that remains on the bridge is to prevent the Scottish Highlanders from the National Park from wandering into the water supply dunes. “But that is so low, the deer jump over it with ease,” according to the forester.