Deer are being culled in Kinglake National Park in an effort to protect the habitat of endangered animals nearly wiped out by the Black Saturday bushfires.
Parks Victoria staff and volunteers from the Australian Deer Association (ADA) began the cull in the Watsons Creek habitat link in the Kinglake National Park last Tuesday night to rid the critical wildlife corridor of 30 feral deer.
Parks Victoria’s acting chief executive, Chris Rose, said clearing the area would ensure safe passage for animals, including the endangered brush tailed phascogale.
“It will lead to expanded habitat and, importantly, link the unburnt areas of Warrandyte State Park to the previously burnt and recovering forests of Kinglake National Park,” Mr Rose said.
Sambar and red deer are introduced species and their numbers have grown to between 30 and 50 in the habitat link.
THE ENDANGERED BRUSH TAILED PHASCOGALE. PICTURE: WAYNE WILLIAMS
The deer have caused irreversible damage to seedlings and saplings planted in the past decade.
Steve Garlick, of the ADA’s deer management committee, said while the park’s deer population was not significant, “it doesn’t take a lot of deer to make an impact”. “They rub their antlers on the trees, taking off shoots, scarring the mature trees and killing saplings.”
ADA volunteers will be spotlight shooting at night and stalking in daylight. The program is expected to run for up to a year.
Since 2004, Parks Victoria has worked to revegetate and restore the land to create a continual forested link from the Kinglake Plateau to the Yarra River in Warrandyte.
So far more than 42,000 seedlings have been planted and two kilometres of fencing erected.
