School of Conservation Sciences

BU expert to feature on Radio 4’s ‘Living World’

Sika Deer ecology in Purbeck

Dr Anita Diaz will feature as part of a BBC Radio 4 programme on the ecology of the Sika deer in Dorset’s Isle of Purbeck on Sunday, 15 November, at 6.35 am.

The programme is part of Radio 4’s ‘Living World’ series.

Dr Diaz and her colleagues in the School of Conservation Sciences have worked with the Royal Society for the Protection of Birds, the National Trust, the Ministry of Defence, English Nature and Biotrack and to electronically tag and monitor the deer to investigate the ways they influence a range of habitats by examining their feeding ranges and population dynamics.

Sika were first introduced to deer parks in Dorset from their native Japan and East Asia just over a hundred years ago. A few individuals escaped and the Isle of Purbeck, to the west of Bournemouth, now has the largest group of feral Sika deer in England.

The Purbecks contain a rich mosaic of internationally-important wildlife habitats and it is crucial to determine the impact of Sika on plants and invertebrates that are important food sources for waterfowl.

BBC Radio 4 is available on DAB radio and 92.9 FM in the UK. The programme can also be heard via the BBC website.