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OAK BAYNEWS Friday, April 17, 2015
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Group pitches contraception program for deer Project on track for fall trapping Christine van Reeuwyk News Staff
A new citizen group hopes to start trapping and tagging deer in Oak Bay by fall. Urban Wildlife Stewardship Society launched the Oak Bay Deer Plan, a pilot program with the objective to limit birth of fawns using immunocontraceptives. “Governments at all levels do have a massive job and we appreciate what they do, yet they’re always limited by budgets, by staff… and the experience and training of their staff,” said Oak Bay resident Bryan Gates, president of the new Urban Wildlife Stewardship Society. “They need technical help in Christine van Reeuwyk/News Staff many cases, and this society is Kristy Kilpatrick, vice-president of Urban Wildlife Stewardship Society, stands with biologist Dr. formed for that purpose. Rick Page and the tools used for tagging deer. The new society hopes to tag deer during its Oak “We can provide alternatives Bay Deer Plan campaign to trap and provide birth control for deer in the district’s boundaries. … We want to offer an incredible deer population in a humane and use Spay-Vac on black-tailed deer managers with extensive senior stewardship and management sensitive way.” in the district and apply to the public service experience. program for deer in Oak Bay,” he The process would include province to allow for capture and “This is an opportunity we said. “There are other programs clover traps with an adjacent inoculation. believe for Victoria to show that the society, we think, can motion-activated camera. “We are partnering with the leadership and to be the leaders undertake in the future but “We can set our traps during University of Victoria scientists in providing an alternative to today it’s really deer we want to the day … we expect our and graduate students,” said Dr. being stewards for wildlife in concentrate on.” biologist to be there within a half Rick Page, chief scientist for Deer urban areas,” said Oak Bay The new citizen group officially hour,” said Page. Plan Oak Bay. “What we hope resident Kristy Kilpatrick, vicelaunched Tuesday in its bid All animals captured would be to achieve is to demonstrate president of Urban Wildlife for a non-lethal and sciencetagged. to the governments that as a Stewardship Society. “We’re based approach to managing “One of the reasons to do citizens-based group we can do really proud to try and start this the deer population in Oak Bay. that is the federal government what we wanted them to do but process.” The group, which has secured COSM_8871_COSM199_OBN_a_X1a.pdf 1 AM requires us to identify that it’s seem to have been incapable The2015-02-03 society will10:45 apply to start-up funding, is comprised of been treated experimentally – of doing in terms of managing a Health Canada for a permit to deer scientists, educators and
Finding funding n Society members weren’t shy about saying they’d love to see Oak Bay fund some of their program. “We are a citizens group, naturally therefore we’re seeking funding either from public sources, private sources and or government, particularly local government,” Gates said. Visit deerplanoakbay.ca to donate or learn more.
and the ear tags will say ‘do not eat’ – even though there is no known hazard.” The other advantage is to track and identify deer, he said, which encourages citizen engagement as they can identify individual deer. A tranquilizer would be available, only if necessary, and trapped females would be given the Spay-Vac, which prevents a doe from conceiving for five to seven years, Page said. The project would start in the fall, with the expectation that Health Canada approval – which Page feels could be the lengthier process – could be in place by August. Fall is a good time, he said, as food is more scarce while does require more of it as they are still providing milk for fawns. “The lethal cull that occurred in February and March was indiscriminate,” Kilpatrick said. PLEASE SEE: Project’s target is 25 female deer, Page A6
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