Photo by pablo.raw

The National Park Service reports today that it killed 20 deer in Rock Creek Park during three nights of deer culling operations last week.

Sharpshooters borrowed from the Department of Agriculture deployed in the park from 10 p.m. to 4 a.m. as part of a three-year-long plan to significantly cut down on the density of deer in the park. The Park Service says that there are close to 400 deer in the park, far above what the flora can handle. By the end of the three-year operation, some 150 deer will be killed.

Opponents of the deer culling protested near one of the park’s entrances ahead of the shootings last week; they claimed that birth control would be a more humane way to deal with the deer. Two weeks ago a D.C. judge threw out a lawsuit that would have stopped the culling altogether, saying that opponents hadn’t proven that enough damage would be done to them to justify overruling the Park Service’s judgement on the issue.

No more shootings will occur this year, said Park Service spokeswoman Carol Johnson. Meat from the 20 deer will be donated to local food banks and homeless shelters.