On the eve of mass fallow deer kill, pleas to stop the helicopter cull – Times Colonist

November 30, 2023

A mass kill of fallow deer on Sidney Island is expected to start Friday, despite 11th-hour appeals from those who say it’s unnecessary, expensive and inhumane.

Some of the 11 private property owners on the small island have sent letters asking the prime minister and federal environment minister to stop the hunt, while others have appealed to the B.C. SPCA to reverse its stance on the killings.

But First Nations confirmed Wednesday the operation is in progress.

The $6-million plan is aimed at restoring Sidney Island’s fragile Coastal Douglas Fir ecosystems after decades of over-browsing by fallow deer introduced to the island in the 1960s.

A company has been contracted to shoot the deer from a helicopter, aided by hunters on the ground with dogs.

Read More: https://www.timescolonist.com/local-news/on-the-eve-of-mass-fallow-deer-kill-pleas-to-stop-the-helicopter-cull-7902418