Killarney National Park rangers begin cull of deer
A large section of the Killarney National Park, as well as an area of the Killarney Golf Course, was closed to the public early today while a cull of some unique red deer was taking place.
The closures are set to continue and are part of a culling programme which is set to continue into mid-March, according to sources.
Brought back from the brink of extinction 50 years ago, hundreds of lowland red deer, Ireland’s largest oldest mammal, now live in the area.
Their numbers have so increased the large mammals may regularly be seen roaming the main roads at Ross and near St Mary’s Cathedral in the heart of the town.
Around 900 red deer now live in the Killarney area, along with around 500 Sika, according to estimates last year.
Collissions with cars as well as damage to woodlands has led to calls for culls in recent years. Local representatives, as well as bereaved people, claim deer roaming onto the road from the woodlands are responsible for at least two fatalities on the N72.
However, the red deer are also now an important tourist attraction in the town. Much loved by regular walkers in the Demesne area, the early morning cull got strong reaction on social media.
One woman walker, who had had no notice of the closure, said she could not stop crying at the thought some of her favourites might be taken out.
Questions were also being raised about the targets and whether pregnant hinds were being shot. The hunting season closes in days - on February 29. Representatives of deer management bodies are also being asked about animal welfare issues with a cull at the very end of the hunting season when stags are losing their antlers, the deer are in poor shape after winter and females are heavily pregnant.
Deer culling in Killarney National Park today...a number of areas are closed to the public pic.twitter.com/bVEdMA2KUW
— Irish Deer Commission (@DeerCommission) February 26, 2020
Meanwhile, the red-letter closure signs by the National Parks and Wildlife Service which were placed at a number of entrances to the park today warned of extreme danger with “deer shooting in progress”.
The cull is being carried out by trained NPWS rangers. Marksmen are concentrating on red stags, and seeking to avoid the females because these will now be in calf, according to informed sources.
In recent years there has been night-time shooting which has taken place earlier in the hunting season.
Overpopulation of deer in Killarney has seen some of the smaller sika deer, introduced in the 19th century, starve on Inisfallen Island in recent years. Woodland ecology is also suffering because of deer numbers, as well as over-grazing by sheep.
A cull is also underway of the upland red deer herd which is based in the Muckross and Mangerton areas.
Further closures of the Demesne area of Killarney National Park between 6am and 11am are planned in the coming weeks for further culls, weather permitting.
The total numbers culled up to August of last year in Killarney was 270 including both Sika and Reds.
Meanwhile the NPWS has issued details of further closures of the park next week and the following week to allow for further culls.
On Wednesday the 4th and Wednesday the 11th of March 2020, Knockreer Demesne, Knockreer, Reen, Prospect, Ballydowney and Belleview will all be closed to all public access between the hours of 06.30 am and 11.30 am..
"For reasons of public safety, it is important that there is no pedestrian, cyclist, vehicular or horse-drawn carriage access to these sites and we ask that members of the public heed all warnings signs, " the NPW said.
