Provincial officials in Flevoland have been ordered by a court to suspend a cull of red deer in the Oostvaardersplassen nature reserve.

Nature organisations Dierbaar Flevoland and Fauna4life won an injunction against the regional authority preventing it from allowing any further culling until the Council of State has delivered its judgment in another case.

The district court for Midden-Nederland, based in Lelystad, suspended the cull in November because the province had failed to show it was a necessary conservation measure.

A special commission had advised the province to reduce the number of red deer to 490, after hundreds of animals starved to death during the harsh winter of 2017-18.

Flevoland appealed to the Council of State and issued a new culling licence on January 1, but the district court decision means the cull cannot go ahead until the Council of State has issued its ruling.

Marius Bouscholte of Dierbaar Flevoland said he was ‘very happy’ with the decision. ‘It means young deer and beautiful does will stay alive and not be shot dead unnecessarily.

‘We lodged an objection to the new licence that would have come into force on January 1. As long as the case is not concluded, no shooting can take place. If we lose the case they may be able to resume shooting from September 1. If we win, the decision is overturned.’