Deer Needs 30 Acres'

Press, Volume CVII, Issue 31383, 31 May 1967, Page 3

Deer Needs 30 Acres'

(N.Z. Preu Auociation)

INVERCARGILL, May 30.

Red deer as a species reacts strongly to overcrowding and a population density of one animal to 30 acres may be too high, says a book which is accepted by some authorities as the most complete scientific study of the animal.

| The book, "A Herd of Red, Deer,” by the Scotti* acton-.l

tist F. Fraser Darling, may have a bearing on proposed attempts to farm deer in New Zealand. Dr. Darling says in the book, first published in 1937 and reprinted several times, that where there is any hint of overcrowding among red deer there are losses through accidents and fighting. “In deer parks where the high artificial density of one deer to five acres may be attained, but under good management is not, accidents are common.

“Stags fight in season and out, and stags will kill calves and strange hinds under such condition*.

“In short, overcrowding results in anti-social behaviour which is in itself one type of check to the further increase of a cramped population. Paddocked deer deprived of the exercise of sociality and a full set of natural conditions are in a still worse plight and hardly ever look healthy to an eye accustomed to wild deer.”

Ships Delayed.—Rain hampered waterfront work at Lyttelton yesterday and some sailings were delayed. Some waterfront labour was dismissed yesterday afternoon because of the weather.