Venison from deer culled in Royal Parks in the last five years was sold to a luxury game dealer for more than £250,000.

Red and fallow deer in Richmond Park and the nearby Bushy Park are killed twice a year – alternating between males and females – to preserve the health of the herd as a whole.

A Freedom of Information request has revealed the number of deer culled during the last five years, and the sums made from the sale of the meat.

During this period, Ben Rigby Game Ltd – which describes itself on its website as England’s premier game dealer – bought all the venison.

A Royal Parks spokeswoman said: “As a member of the British Deer Society, The Royal Parks takes deer welfare very seriously and all aspects of their health are regularly monitored.

“In addition, both the society and the Deer Initiative of England and Wales fully endorse humane culling.

“The Royal Parks is an expert manager of enclosed deer herds, which are under veterinary supervision. Deer populations are actively managed to keep herds at a sustainable size.

“Without population control, food would become scarce and more animals would ultimately suffer.

“There would also be other welfare issues such as low body fat, malnutrition, high incidence of death from exposure to cold in winter and a build-up of parasites and diseases in deer.

“As a result of the cull, the meat is sold to licensed game dealers and all the money is reinvested into caring for our herds.

“It must be stressed we do not undertake commercial deer farming, and as such the meat is not labelled as Royal Parks when it is sold to the consumer.”

Below is the period in which the deer where culled, how many deer were involved and how much they were sold for.

Richmond Park:

  • Nov 2013, 136, £18,489.10
  • Feb 2014, 99, £21,411.95
  • Nov 2014, 115, £15,124.20
  • Feb 2015, 118, £24,702.65
  • Nov 2015, 86, £12,510.40
  • Feb 2016, 105, £20,948.20
  • Nov 2016, 108, £15,123.85
  • Feb 2017, 133, £24,943.10
  • Nov 2017, 78, £13,108.80
  • Feb 2018, 117, £22,047.85

Bushy Park

  • Sep 2014, 40, £8,534.33
  • Nov 2014. 68. £6,661.38
  • Sep 2015, 29, £6,312.74
  • Nov 2015, 65, £8,349.36
  • Sep 2016, 25, £5,077.66
  • Nov 2016, 40, £4,604.99
  • Sep 2017, 42, £8,618.57
  • Nov 2017, 83, £9,131.80
  • Sep 2018, 34, £9,314.02
  • Nov 2018, 53, £5,099.12

In total Richmond Park deer (1,195 of them) have sold for £188,410.10.

The 479 deer in Bushy Park sold for £71,703.97.