Robben Island to cull deer
THE ROBBEN Island Museum (RIM) will be culling 400 fallow deer whose increased population they say is threatening the vegetation on the island.
The island also has other indigenous animals and RIM has said that the 400 fallow deer are threatening the habitat of the other animals.
They will be decreasing the number of fallow deer to 50. The culling will start this month and end in March.
The meat of the animals will then be distributed to the staff on the island. The RIM has said that a professional hunter has been brought in to do the culling.
Brad Mitchell, the spokesperson for RIM, said that the culling is part of their sustainable practice.
“The fallow deer is not indigenous like the springbok is.
“We have also engaged with the Cape of Good Hope SPCA and the national Department of Agriculture and Forestry and Fisheries about the culling.”
Belinda Abraham spokesperson for the Cape of Good Hope SPCA, said that they are happy with how RIM has run the process.
“They looked at the impact the fallow deer has on other wild life and the environment.
“Our role is to ensure that the culling happens in a humane way.”
Fallow deer were brought to Robben Island in 1963 and at that time there were only three. They have since grown in numbers. Fallow dear were also shot in 2010 reducing their numbers from 220 to 30.
In 2010, thousands of rabbits were culled whose population grew substantially. Other animals that live on the island are: 132 bird species some of which are endangered.
There are also the Cape Fur Seal, southern right whales, dusky and heaviside dolphins, bontebok, steenbok, eland, ostriches, lizards, geckos, snakes and three species of tortoises on the island.