Remember the rabbits? The darlings of campus which were all of a sudden no longer dear to the administration’s heart? Well, a similar fate is going to be happening to the deer we see on campus and the various communities in the CRD.
First up to bat is Oak Bay, with their “let’s kill them all” attitude. Sound familiar? Some squeaky wheels in that community have caught the mayor’s ear with complaints of deer eating their flowers. They have to go.
Next are the deer/vehicle accidents which, admittedly, are on the rise. Any reason? More cars and faster speeds especially by the Uplands Golf Course on Cadboro Bay Road. Then there is the odd story about a cyclist hitting a deer or a dog chased by a deer.
On the other hand there are more Oak Bay residents who oppose the cull along with various knowledgeable organizations like the BC SPCA, Friends of Animals, FurBearers, PETA, EARS and informed citizens[…] Kill them and give the meat to the Songhees First Nation as if they are second class citizens, perhaps.
Now, here is the bad, if there can be one, point. The proposed cull uses a live trap which, once entered, is collapsed by two brave persons to force the deer down. It is then shot in the head with a bolt gun and hopefully dies instantly. […] Shot deer have been seen being dragged out of the trap still fighting. The mayor says his wildlife experts say it is humane. A hardened killer on death row is executed humanely. Not an innocent deer.
A more descriptive outline of the procedure is available online. Google clover traps. An animal trapped is stressed, and that alone causes problems with the meat. The deer would try to fight its way out of the trap injuring itself, and if not, it surely would get hurt when the trap is collapsed. Bruised meat is tainted meat. Not edible.
There have been numerous rallies, letters, petitions, and emails, and the mayor and council are ignoring them. There are other non-lethal methods including educating the public and establishing proper warning signs as well as monitoring traffic speed. Educating the public is foremost. The mayor and council of Oak Bay should be ashamed of themselves. We should not let this happen.
