Cull Alpine Pests: Ingram
The Age
Friday June 3, 2005
WILD horses, deer and other feral animal numbers in eastern Victoria's Alpine National Park should be culled to protect the environment, a state MP says.
Following the State Government's ban on cattle grazing in the park, the independent MP for Gippsland East, Craig Ingram, said the Government needed to do more to protect it.Mr Ingram said brumbies and sambar deer were higher in numbers and did more damage to the park than cattle.He was backed by Nationals leader Peter Ryan and the Victorian National Parks Association, which said that other feral animals, including pigs, dogs and foxes also needed to be culled. But the State Government rejected the calls, saying Parks Victoria already has proper management controls in place.Mr Ingram said the Government needed to get serious about the issue. "If they say large hard-hoofed animals are a threat to the alpine environment . . . are they going to go into the alpine areas and start shooting brumbies? And are they going to get serious about sambar deer." Mr Ryan said sambar deer and brumbies needed to be culled. "Sambar deer are there all year round, as opposed to a limited number of cattle that are there for only part of the year."Victorian National Parks Association campaigner Phil Ingamells said all feral animals, including deer, brumbies, dogs and pigs needed to be culled.Roger Bilney, co-author of a study on the ecological impact sambar deer have on East Gippsland, said the Government needed to act immediately. "There has to be significant levels of poisoning and spotlight shooting initially," he said.Australian Deer Association (Victoria) president Max Rheese said it would be impossible to eradicate all sambar deer.Geoff Fraser, a spokesman for Environment Minister John Thwaites, said cattle did more damage to the park than deer and brumbies because they did not congregate in herds, and deer stuck to forested areas rather than sensitive grasslands.
© 2005 The Age