Details of this species in Auckland Region Status: Alien
Invasiveness: Invasive
Occurrence: Established
Source: ARC, 2004 Arrival Date: 1851-1919
Introduction: Intentional Species Notes for this Location:
Red deer (Cervus elaphus) were imported from England, the
USA, and other countries between 1851 to
1919 to stock game parks, and by the early
twentieth century they were regularly
released into the wild for recreational
trophy hunting.
Red deer have become the most widespread - by 1940 they had colonised the most suitable habitats throughout New Zealand.More recently deer have been farmed for
venison, velvet and skins/hides, as well as
for Asian medicines using antlers, velvet,
tails and testicles, and teeth for jewellery.
Escapees from deer farms has meant
additional small wild populations of some
species have established in places outside
their traditional range in New Zealand. Management Notes for this Location:
Feral deer are declared animal pests in the Auckland Regional Animal Pest
Management Strategy.The ARC ( Auckland Regional Council) and land owners may use one or a
combination of the following techniques to control deer where they become
a threat to areas of high conservation value:
- Shooting - hunting and spotlight shooting by licensed shooters.
- Poison - must be an approved toxic substance and only applied by licensed
operators.
Location Notes:
The preferred habitat is coastal lowlands to high alpine areas. Impacts:
Disease transmission: Feral deer can act as vectors for Bovine Tb.
The fact that deer can disperse long distances means that they have the potential to spread TB and re-infect possum populations from which the disease has been eliminated.
Habitat alteration: Deer browsing and bark stripping have a significant impact
on natural areas.
The Department of Conservation New Zealand, in its policy on deer control, states that deer prevent regeneration of favoured plant species, which causes significant changes to the structure and composition of native ecosystems. At critical sites, non-replacement of canopy species can lead to canopy collapse. Last Modified: 6/04/2004 10:49:50 a.m.
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