A US plan to use helicopter gunships to kill nearly 2,000 invasive mule deer roaming the mountains of Santa Catalina Island has sparked a storm of protest from residents.
Mule deer on Catalina Island. Photo: Yahoo
Islanders are calling on wildlife officials to stop the hunt. The Catalina Island Conservancy (CIC), which manages 90 percent of the island, said the mass killing was necessary to protect native vegetation that has been destroyed by deer foraging for food, Phys.org reported on October 2.
A recurring cycle of drought and wildfires has also destroyed vegetation, forcing hungry deer to seek food in developed areas of the island, where they come into conflict with humans and livestock. The deer hunt is the latest attempt to restore ecological order on the island, just 22 miles off the coast of Southern California. Previously, a series of introduced species, including goats, bison, and pigs, have threatened native species on California’s Channel Islands.
According to conservation officials, mule deer are the most destructive invasive species left on Catalina Island. Overgrazing puts a strain on native vegetation, allowing the spread of flammable invasive grasses. Herds have also ventured into the port city of Avalon, eating garden plants, attacking livestock, or getting tangled in folding chairs and golf nets.
However, more than 2,000 islanders have signed a petition asking the California Department of Fish and Wildlife to deny CIC a permit to kill the mule deer. Opponents of the plan say most residents want to keep the deer on the island. Still, a California Department of Fish and Wildlife spokesperson said they “support the habitat restoration project.” “The goal of the project is to restore ecosystem function and preserve Catalina Island’s unique biodiversity, including some of the rarest plant species in the state,” Jordan Traverso said.
CIC plans to hire shooters from the Connecticut nonprofit White Buffalo Inc. and begin culling deer next fall. The hunters will use AR-15 rifles with lead-free bullets, so scavengers are not poisoned. The hunted deer will be left in place because airlifting carcasses across the rugged island would be dangerous and expensive. However, officials will remove dead deer near Avalon and along roadsides.
Mule deer were introduced to Catalina Island in the early 1930s to increase wildlife and provide hunting opportunities. With no predators, the deer have since outcompeted native wildlife, disrupting the ecosystem. Under the hunting program, CIC allows hunters to kill 200 deer a year. However, biologists say that number is not nearly enough to be effective because each doe gives birth to two calves a year.
An Khang (According to Phys.org )
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