Wild deer ‘endangering’ lives as calls for cull grow

WILD deer roaming around Co Kerry are endangering people’s lives and damaging property, it was claimed yesterday.

The claims came amid demands for a further cull of the deer population, in the wake of traffic accidents and ongoing trespassing on farmland and private property.

According to Fine Gael’s Cllr Patrick Connor-Scarteen, there have been many serious collisions caused by deer getting onto public roads, with people suffering injuries and cars being written off.

“There has been increased fence damage, the encroaching on crops, grazing of pastureland and an increased risk of disease outbreak,” he claimed.

There are currently upwards of 1,500 deer in Killarney National Park but many stray well outside the confines of the park and have been reported as far away as Dingle and Caherciveen, 50km to 60km from the park.

Killarney Golf Club has a resident herd of 60-70 deer which featured prominently in international TV coverage of the Irish Open Golf Championship at the lakeside venue, last year.

Mr Connor-Scarteen has called on Kerry County Council to contact bodies such as the National Parks and Wildlife Service (NPWS), the IFA and the Irish Wild Deer Association with a view to get information on their policies and future plans.

He also called for more co-operation from such bodies and for a national deer management strategy.

“Too many deer are currently roaming the countryside. Numbers have increased sharply in Kerry and urgent action is needed,” the councillor said.

“Damage is also being caused to residential properties, including damage to gardens. But the biggest and most serious reason why there needs to be a better deer-culling policy is the danger deer cause to motorists,” he said.

He said deer were particularly hazardous on the Kenmare to Tuosist road, along with the Beara Peninsula and on roads between Loo Bridge to Kilgarvan and Molls Gap to Killarney.

Deer are still protected within the confines of the Killarney National Park, but permits can be obtained to shoot the hinds outside the park.

According to figures produced by the NPWS in late 2010, there are now around 700 red deer and 700 Japanese Sika deer in Killarney. About 100 of the older and weaker animals are culled each year and the venison is fed to white-tailed eagles being reintroduced in Killarney.