With overpopulation of deer reaching a critical point in Michel-Chartrand Park in Longueuil, where there are now more than a hundred, Mayor Catherine Fournier says she is “forced” to revise her intervention. Despite an ongoing lawsuit, a permit will be requested from the Legault government to carry out “controlled hunting” of deer, without the use of firearms.
Posted at 9:33 a.m.
There are currently 108 deer in the park, whose capacity is more like 10 to 15 of these animals, according to the latest count from the Ministry of Wildlife, Forests and Parks (MFFP). According to the City, this overpopulation weakens the “ecological balance” of the park, and allows the proliferation of the tick carrying Lyme disease, in addition to causing accidents and damage to residences.
The situation “forces us to revise both the mode of operation and our intervention objective to act as quickly as possible, by a method more adapted to these new data”, explained Mayor Catherine Fournier on Wednesday.
According to the City’s figures, the number of deer represents a jump of 50% compared to last year, and 238% compared to 2017. Moreover, since the data was produced before the breeding period of the spring 2022, “the current number of deer is certainly even higher, the deer population tending to grow exponentially”, note the authorities.
Earlier last week, the mayor officially mandated the executive committee to apply for a permit from the MFFP to “carry out a controlled hunt of white-tailed deer in the park – without firearms -, a more effective method of intervention. adapted to the new data concerning the herd”. Everything would be done this fall, as planned, but “at various intervals”.
The City’s General Management was also mandated “to develop a complete intervention plan required for this purpose, including all aspects of such an operation”, including the “technical, security, environmental, awareness and information to citizens”, explains Mr.me Fournier.
In court
In June, the City announced its intention to suspend the slaughter of around sixty animals scheduled for next fall, while a court settles a dispute on this subject. Recall that an appeal was filed last month by lawyer Anne-France Goldwater, who represents the organization Sauvetage Animal Rescue, in order to suspend the euthanasia of the animals, which was recommended by an expert.
Mme Goldwater indeed harshly criticized Longueuil’s decision, calling it outright a “massacre”. “It is cruelty. Basically, we want to assassinate Bambi when there are several other solutions on the table, ”she said to The Press.
However, the City says it has studied all the options: a round table has also recommended the euthanasia of the animals, judging the relocation too risky for animal well-being.
The vice-president of the executive committee of Longueuil, Jonathan Tabarah, specified Wednesday that “the details of the complete intervention plan, including details on the authorized hunting sessions, the frequency, the number of hunters authorized and distributed on the site , the mode of hunting, the occasional closures of the park as well as the deployment of security measures, will be communicated at the beginning of the fall”.