6095 animals killed in Westland Park

Press, Volume CXI, Issue 32701, 2 September 1971, Page 9

6095 animals killed in Westland Park

Four hundred and twenty-five chamois, 567 deer and 303 thar were shot in the Westland National Park last year by commercial and private hunters.

According to the annual report of the park board, the totals, apart from that for deer, were well down on the previous year. In 1969-70, 719 chamois, 649 thar and 567 deer were killed.

i Hunting from helicopters, showed drastic reductions in kills of chamois and thar between the two years. Last year 31 chamois were bagged, compared with 402 the previous year, and 11 thar compared with 316 in 1969-70. Last year 371 deer were killed in helicopter hunting, 83 more than in the previous year.

Private hunters shot 394 chamois, 292 thar and 196 deer. Last year’s totals were 317, 333 and 279 respectively. In 1969-70, about 8250 opossums were destroyed. In the last season about 4800 opossums were taken by commercial trappers. The drop in the price of skins was responsible for the smaller number of animals taken. The report says a big nonu-

lation of deer remains in the bush and river valleys in the ( southern sector of the park. 4 An increase in the goat popu-it lation has also been noted ? in that section of the park,’l west of State Highway 6. s During the year 126 shoot-$ ing permits were issued. I