Posts Tagged ‘animal rights’

Exotic Deer Removal Sparks Debate

Activists Call For a Halt of Deer Shooting

by Mark Prado, Marin Independent Journal

Animal rights activists called for a moratorium on the shooting of non-native deer in West Marin [California] as another 18 of the animals were killed Monday.

“They want them gone because they are non-native, and that’s not good enough,” said Karen Wilson, executive director of San Rafael-based WildCare. “We are non-native – what are they going to do, take out people next?”

In the past year, the Point Reyes National Seashore has killed 475 fallow deer as part of a controversial plan to eliminate non-native deer through shooting and contraception. The latest round of culling began last week when crews from Connecticut-based White Buffalo Inc. arrived to shoot the animals.

“The fallow deer are displacing our native (black-tailed) deer,” said Don Neubacher, Point Reyes National Seashore superintendent. “For every two fallow deer, you have one less native deer. Our goal in the park service is to preserve native biological systems.”     (more…)