Council ruling may lead to reindeer cull at farm

A FARMER may be forced to cull reindeer after a council ruled they are “dangerous wild animals’

- LAUREN BEAVIS

Some of the reindeer at Sarah Sutton's Somerset Reindeer Ranch and, below, Sarah and Annie Price with some of the animals

Sarah Sutton, 51, keeps 10 reindeer on her farm and hosts a “meet and greet” experience for visitors.

But now she fears Christmas is “ruined” - after being told by the local council she requires a zoo license to continue her business, as reindeers are classified as “dangerous and wild”

She has described the notion as “absurd” because they had “the temperament of a dog crossed with a pony”

Sarah, who has run the Somerset Reindeer Ranch for 14 years, says the cost of the licence will mean the business will be forced to close.

She said: “I’m trying to run a business that makes people happy and spreads Christmas cheer.