Longueuil deer cull operation now complete
Posted December 12, 2024 1:06 pm.
Last Updated December 12, 2024 1:09 pm.
The operation to control the overpopulation of white-tailed deer in Parc Michel-Chartrand in Longueuil is now complete.
The second phase reduced the herd by 41 animals. A total of 105 deer were killed under the limits of the SEG permit for the capture of wild animals for scientific, educational or wildlife management purposes, granted to the city by the Ministère de l’Environnement, de la Lutte contre les changements climatiques, de la Faune et des Parcs (MELCCFP).
The City of Longueuil was aiming to restore the ecological balance of Parc Michel-Chartrand, which corresponds to five deer per square kilometre, according to scientific data.
“We are continuing our efforts to promote the restoration of the ecological balance of the park. To do this, we will continue to rely on science and the most recent data, as we have done since the beginning of this affair,” said Longueuil Mayor Catherine Fournier in a press release.
She said she is optimistic that the results of the studies by researchers from the PARCS en santé project, in which the city is participating, will help find “a lasting solution to the deer overpopulation that is affecting the entire region.”
“Even though this is the end of the saga today, we have a responsibility to act in the long term to avoid reliving such a scenario in the future,” said Fournier.
Longueuil is now tackling the task of reforesting the park. More than 600 trees and 10,000 plants will be planted next year.
Ultimately, nearly 100,000 plants, including trees and shrubs, will re-green Parc Michel-Chartrand, in accordance with the City of Longueuil’s Greening Plan, “to ensure ecological and functional diversity,” the press release states.
As with the first operation, in October, game meat was donated to Moisson Rive-Sud so that the organization could distribute it to people in need.
The first phase provided 12,850 servings of meat to Moisson Rive-Sud.
The deer antlers and skins were repurposed and sent to a group of Indigenous communities with the goal of creating artisanal products.
–This report by La Presse Canadienne was translated by CityNews
