How Italy’s deer outsmarted the hunters — and the law

It’s official — the deer of Abruzzo can breathe a little easier. A controversial plan to cull nearly 500 of them, including over 140 fawns, has been scrapped, and animal rights groups are celebrating what they see as a hard-won victory. The story began last August, when the Abruzzo Regional Council approved a resolution authorising the killing of 469 deer as part of population control efforts. The plan sparked outrage among environmental and animal welfare associations, who took the matter to court. Despite an initial setback — with the regional administrative court (TAR Abruzzo) refusing to suspend the measure —...