The island hires snipers from helicopters to kill invasive deer.

The US plan to use snipers from helicopters to kill nearly 2,000 invasive mule deer roaming the mountains of Santa Catalina Island has sparked a storm of protests from residents.

Deer on Catalina Island. Photo: Yahoo — Deer on Catalina Island. Photo: *Yahoo*

Islanders are calling on wildlife authorities to stop the hunt. The Catalina Island Conservation Organization (CIC), which manages 90% of the island, says the mass hunting is necessary to protect native vegetation being ravaged by the deer herd, Phys.org reported on October 2nd.

The recurring cycles of drought and wildfires have also destroyed vegetation, forcing hungry deer to seek food in the island's growing areas, thus creating conflict with humans and livestock. The deer hunting plan is the latest effort to restore ecological order on the island, located just 35.4 kilometers off the southern California coast. Previously, a number of introduced species, such as goats, bison, and pigs, have threatened native species in California's Channel Islands.

According to conservation authorities, mule deer are the most destructive invasive species remaining on Catalina Island. Their excessive grazing puts immense pressure on native vegetation, paving the way for the spread of flammable, invasive grasses. The deer also venture into the port city of Avalon, eating garden crops, attacking livestock, or getting entangled in folding chairs or golf netting.

However, more than 2,000 island residents signed a petition asking the California Fish and Wildlife Service to deny CIC permission to cull the mule deer. Opponents of the plan said the majority of residents want to keep the deer on the island. Nevertheless, a spokesperson for the California Fish and Wildlife Service said they "support the habitat restoration project." "The goal of the project is to restore ecosystem function and preserve Catalina Island's unique biodiversity, including some of the state's rarest plant species," said Jordan Traverso.

CIC plans to hire sharpshooters from the nonprofit White Buffalo Inc. in Connecticut and begin culling deer next fall. The hunters will use AR-15 rifles with lead-free ammunition, so scavengers won't be poisoned. The hunted deer will be left in place because transporting the carcasses by plane across the rugged island would be dangerous and expensive. However, authorities will move the dead deer near Avalon and along the roadside.

Mule deer were introduced to Catalina Island in the early 1930s with the goal of increasing wildlife and providing a hunting resource. Due to a lack of predators, the mule deer subsequently competed with native wildlife, disrupting the ecosystem. Under the hunting program, the CIC allows hunters to kill 200 mule deer per year. However, biologists argue that this number is almost ineffective because each female mule deer gives birth to two fawns per year.

An Khang (According to Phys.org )

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