Gribskov nature park opens as protesters oppose giant fence

Denmark’s second nature national park officially opens in Gribskov this weekend, but the inauguration will take place under protest, DR reports.

Environment Minister Maria Reumert Gjerding of the SF party is due to inaugurate the 1,300-hectare park on Sunday. North Zealand Police said two demonstrations have been registered ahead of the event.

One demonstration has been organised by Fri Natur, an association protesting under the slogan “No to fences”.

“We are coming to the event to show our dissatisfaction with the way nature is to be managed,” said Bodil Jørgensen, who lives in the area and chairs Fri Natur.

The park is intended to allow nature to become wilder. Oxen, red deer and moose will graze there year-round to help restore natural ecosystems and increase biodiversity. The moose are expected to be introduced next year.

To keep the large animals inside the park, authorities have built a 22-kilometre-long, 2.5-metre-high fence with 25 gates for visitors.

“The problem is that access to nature for ordinary citizens is being restricted or made dangerous, and we are obviously strongly dissatisfied with that,” Jørgensen said.

Fence damaged more than 20 times

Søren Bo Oldenburg, a forest manager with the Nature Agency North Zealand, said he was aware of local opposition to the fence.

“Basically, I can understand that change can create a form of resistance or scepticism. That is how we are as human beings. But access is still available around the clock. You just have to go through a gate,” he said.

The fence has been damaged more than 20 times. In 13 serious incidents, sections of the fence were cut or gates were destroyed.

“That is far beyond the limit. You must not destroy other people’s property,” Oldenburg said.

He said people had no reason to feel unsafe entering the park, but added that visitors should always treat the large animals with respect and keep their distance.

Asked whether it was contradictory to seek wilder nature while starting by building a huge fence, Oldenburg said the fence was necessary.

“Professionally speaking, there is no doubt that the processes inside the fence will be wilder and more natural than those outside it,” he said.

Park covers a quarter of Gribskov

Jørgensen said Fri Natur had nothing to do with the vandalism. She supports wilder nature and greater biodiversity but opposes the large animals and the fence.

“When animals are kept inside an enclosure, you have to think twice before entering. Dangerous situations can arise,” she said.

Only about 25 per cent of Gribskov will become part of the nature national park. Jørgensen said, however, that the park would cover the central part of the forest, making it difficult to travel between the northern and southern sections without passing through it.

A second demonstration at the inauguration has been organised by animal activist Per Øxenholt, who is known as a critic of Molslaboratoriet.

A nature national park is a large, connected natural area where nature is allowed to manage itself to a greater extent. Large grazing animals are introduced, which is why the parks are fenced. A total of 21 nature national parks are due to open across Denmark over the coming years.