Montreal to hire professional shooters to deal with east-end deer overpopulation
The City of Montreal plans to hire marksmen to deal with the overpopulation of white-tailed deer in the island's east end.
Starting in the fall, the City of Montreal will begin decreasing the size of deer herds in east-end parks. The city said in a news release Tuesday that there are currently 165 deer in parks with a capacity of 25, and the number is growing "at an accelerated rate."
The expert committee that looked into the deer population recommended the city commission "professional shooters" to reduce the herds at Pointe-aux Prairies and Bois-d'Anjou parks.
"Reducing the deer population is not a decision that the City of Montreal is taking lightly," said Villeray-Saint-Michel-Parc-Extension borough mayor Laurence Lavigne Lalonde, who is responsible for large parks. "It is necessary, based on the recommendations received, and will be carried out with the greatest respect for the animals, limiting their suffering as much as possible."
Lavigne Lalonde said the city is working with a group to study deer movements, "essential knowledge for assessing the feasibility of a sterilization strategy, in the light of evidence-based data."
Montreal official opposition leader Aref Salem said his Ensemble Montreal party will analyze the expert recommendations and criticized Mayor Valerie Plante's administration for taking so long to deal with the deer.
"We deplore the fact that the Plante administration has waited all this time before making a decision, even though it has had the expert panel's recommendations on the status of white-tailed deer in east-end Montreal since 2021," said Salem. "In the meantime, the deer have multiplied and the situation has deteriorated."
The Montreal SPCA was disappointed to learn about the plan.
"We believe that the use of management methods involving the killing of animals simply because they are considered ' nuisances,' is no longer socially acceptable today," said SPCA director of animal advocacy and legal and government affairs Sophie Gaillard. "We do, however, applaud the City's willingness to implement fertility reduction methods following the cull as part of a responsible and sustainable longer-term management approach."
The city said it plans to plant on 3.7 hectares of park space, establish enclosures, install signage and regularly count animals in the parks to protect the biodiversity in its parks.
The five-year, $2 million project will allow researchers to evaluate fertility control measures "to restrict population growth" and reduce the need for interventions.
"Sterilization and contraception as a means of controlling wildlife populations have proven their effectiveness elsewhere in the world, and the SPCA firmly believes that they represent the future of wildlife management," said Gaillard. "The deer problem in the east end of Montreal presents an ideal opportunity to test these new methods and contribute to the development of scientific and technical knowledge in this field. The SPCA encourages the City of Montreal to position itself as a leader in this area."
Biologists and veterinarians, in addition to university professors, made up the expert committee which made the recommendations.
"The scale of the effort required leads us to recommend the use of professional shooters to conduct an effective, safe operation that complies with guidelines on the care and use of wild animals," said Laval University biology professor Jean-Pierre Tremblay. "The committee stresses the need for ongoing knowledge acquisition to foster the development of an integrated, sustainable intervention strategy."
The city says the increased deer population has resulted in increased road accidents, a degraded ecosystem, disruption of food sources and a decline in bird populations, among other negative effects.
In addition, deer have brought with them increased black-legged ticks, which are known to spread Lyme disease.
The news release adds that alternative solutions were evaluated, such as relocating the deer. The committee did not recommend relocating the deer due to "numberous risks" of injury or complications that lead to deer deaths, the news release says.
The plan in Montreal comes after a legal saga in suburban Longueuil, where in October, the Court of Appeal finally rejected animal activists' request to halt a deer cull at Michel-Chartrand Park. The court gave the City of Longueuil the green light to cull up to 100 white-tailed deer for population control.
Have a news tip? We'd like to hear your story. Please send an email to MontrealDigitalNews@BellMedia.ca
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Judge in Trump's hush money trial threatened to throw witness out of court for behavior on stand
Michael Cohen testified Monday that he stole tens of thousands of dollars from his ex-boss Donald Trump’s company, an admission defence lawyers hope to use to undermine Cohen’s credibility.
What is BORG drinking, and why is it a dangerous trend? An expert explains
If you've been to a party lately and haven't seen someone drinking a BORG, you're likely not partying with college students.
The world's best airline is paying staff a bonus of 8 months' salary
Singapore Airlines will reward its employees with a bonus worth nearly eight months of salary, a person familiar with the matter told CNN on Friday.
Oilers win Game 7 over Canucks, advance to Western Conference Final
The Edmonton Oilers weathered a late Vancouver Canucks charge on Monday night, beating the hosts 3-2 to win their seven-game second-round playoff series in the decisive showdown.
McGill says pro-Palestinian protest outside senior administrator's home 'crosses the line'
McGill University has denounced a pro-Palestinian protest held Sunday outside the home of one of its senior administrators.
Red Lobster probes 'endless shrimp' losses after bankruptcy filing
U.S.-based restaurant chain Red Lobster has filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection in a Florida court after securing $100 million in financing commitments from its existing lenders, the company said on Sunday.
Katy Perry sings goodbye to 'American Idol'
Katy Perry said her goodbyes on 'American Idol' after seven seasons. On Sunday night’s live 'idol' season finale, a medley of Perry's hit songs were performed, including 'Teenage Dream,' 'Dark Horse' and 'California Gurls.'
Microsoft's AI chatbot will 'recall' everything you do on a PC
Microsoft wants laptop users to get so comfortable with its artificial intelligence chatbot that it will remember everything you're doing on your computer and help figure out what you want to do next.
Judge cites error, will reopen sentencing hearing for man who attacked Nancy Pelosi's husband
A federal judge will reopen the sentencing hearing for the man who broke into Nancy Pelosi's San Francisco home and bludgeoned her husband with a hammer after the judge failed to allow him to speak during his court appearance last week.