Sika deer eradication
Eradicating Sika Deer from Russell Forest, Northland
Northland Regional Council is seeking new tools to increase the efficacy of their efforts to eradicate a herd of sika deer in Russell Forest, near the Bay of Islands.
Northland has historically been a deer-free region however illegal releases and farm escapes have seen small herds establish in various areas since the late 1980’s. Although many of these have been eradicated, a herd of sika deer have persisted in Russell Forest since 1988 despite ongoing control efforts and full eradication has been elusive.
Vivienne Lepper, Biosecurity incursion response team manager for Northland Regional Council explains that eradication of this herd is considered a priority due to the impact of sika deer on indigenous vegetation and their potential role as hosts of bovine tuberculosis.
To achieve their eradication goal, Northland Regional Council secured funding from the Envirolink scheme to commission Landcare Research to review previous management of the sika herd in Russell Forest and provide advice on new approaches and technology which might assist in eradication.
Although the report has only just been produced, Vivienne sees the information it provides as a pivotal point in deer management in Northland, particularly within the Russell Forest. She says “it provides a fantastic summary of the past 20 years, examines various control technologies and their application and contains strong recommendations and a clear pathway forward for us to act on to achieve eradication”.
“We will continue to work with Landcare Research and use this report in the preparation of a detailed operational plan. This funding from Envirolink has helped us rejuvenate this work and provides a clear direction for us to take”.
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