Animal welfare advocates ask court to stop white-tailed deer cull south of Montreal

Goldwater said the offer also includes free followup care of the deer for up to 10 years. The relocation would be paid for through donations and fundraising at no cost to taxpayers, Goldwater said.

“No plan is perfect, and a deer in the wild always lives with the risk they may be munched upon by a predator,” she said in an interview. “But they would have a fighting chance to be alive.”

Last November, Longueuil Mayor Catherine Fournier said the city would kill all but about 15 of the roughly 70 deer living there in order to protect the Michel Chartrand Park. A committee created to propose ways of protecting the park found the current population was more than five times the number of animals it could support.

The committee’s report concluded the park’s natural areas were “so degraded they could no longer regenerate” due to factors including emerald ash borer infestations, invasive plant species, visitors not respecting park rules and the large number of deer stripping vegetation.

It considered relocation or sterilization or birth control, but concluded the only viable short-term solution was to slaughter all but the minimum 10 to 15 animals. Last year, a city spokesman said the cull would likely take place in the fall.

Longueuil’s previous administration had planned to cull the deer in the fall of 2020, but the city relented after a strong backlash that included a petition, a protest and threats against the former mayor. At that time, the park’s deer population was pegged at around 30.

Goldwater says the case is expected before a judge in Longueuil on June 15.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published May 18, 2022.

Sidhartha Banerjee, The Canadian Press

by The Canadian Press

Animal welfare advocates ask court to stop white-tailed deer cull south of Montreal

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