A group of 12 deer currently trapped between two fences at the Sellafield nuclear reprocessing plant in Cumbria, England face being put to death, sparking protests from locals and a petition signed by thousands.
The deer recently became stuck when the nuclear plant built two security fences around the plant's southern perimeter, the Daily Mail reported. The plant's owners, Sellafield Ltd., were advised by animal experts that killing the deer would be the most humane thing to do.
The slaughter, or cull, will be carried out by "highly skilled marksmen" sometime in May, the BBC reported.
Several opponents gathered outside the plant's gates on Sunday afternoon in a peaceful protest.
"We would like them to move the fence and let the deer back out or relocate the fence and allow them to reach their normal territory," Margaret Morton, who organized the protest, told the BBC News.
"Culling is not the answer. Our wildlife are precious," Morton said.
Residents from the nearby village of Seascale also expressed outrage over the planned killings. Over 1,500 people have signed a petition demanding the company not go through with killing the deer.
"This seems a quick, convenient and cheap fix for a problem for which there is another solution," said Councilor David Ritson from the local Parish Council, the Daily Mail reported. "Would it not be a better and more humane solution to temporarily remove one section of fence and herd the animals back into the natural environment?"
A Sellafield Ltd. spokesman said the deer would most likely hurt themselves if they remained between the fences.
"The experts felt that the deer would try and hide deep in the thicket and cause themselves serious injury in doing so," the spokesman said, the Daily Mail reported. "This decision has been taken with the medium-to long-term welfare of the animals in mind, and is neither the most convenient nor the cheapest option available to us."
