Source: New York Post
The group that manages Catalina Island’s wildlife has submitted a plan to kill some 2000 of the area’s iconic mule deer — prompting howls of protest from animal lovers. The culling could take place over the next several years, according to the Catalina Island Conservancy, the nonprofit that owns and manages about 88% of the 75-square-mile island off the Southern California coast, which is seeking a permit from the state for the deer slaughter, the conservancy said. 3 Los Angeles Times via Getty Images The group argues that the mule deer — a non-native species introduced nearly a century ago — have overgrazed vegetation and are choking out native flora and fauna, fueling the risk of fire by “allowing flammable invasive grasses to spread,” and threatening the island’s fragile ecosystem.
