Durrell Wildlife Trust to end paid stalking at Scottish estate

The Durrell Wildlife Conservation Trust will stop commercial deer stalking at its Dalnacardoch Estate in Scotland by late October, accelerating the original timeline which ran until spring 2026.

The Jersey-based charity took a lease on the 18,500-acre Highland property in 2023 to launch an ambitious century-long rewilding programme. Under Durrell’s management, paying guest involvement in deer culling has dropped sharply from 95% in 2022 to 25% in 2024.

Thirty stalking bookings remain confirmed, with the final outing set for Monday 20 October. Guests currently pay approximately £700 to stalk a stag. But after November, all population management will be handled solely by Durrell staff.

The move comes amid sustained pressure from animal rights campaigners, including Protect the Wild, who have opposed the practice.

A spokesman for the Scottish Gamekeepers Association said: “It’s sad that organisations feel that they have to bow to activists when emotive demands will not necessarily lead to better outcomes, per se. It is a perfectly sound and legitimate business model to enable sporting shooters to shoot deer that are going to be shot anyway. They will spend money on other local services, meaning that communities gain, too.”

Durrell has stated that controlling deer numbers remains essential for ecosystem recovery, noting that excessive grazing disrupts woodland regeneration and natural balance across the estate.

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