A plan to control the wildlife population at one of the region's natural gems will result in a temporary closure next month.
Point Pelee National Park will close to the public between November 24 and December 1 for what Parks Canada has described as a "deer population reduction activity."
"This year, Parks Canada and Caldwell First Nation decided that to ensure better success, the deer population reduction will take place in two parts, in November 2023 and in January 2024," said Parks Canada spokesperson Julia Grcevic. "The park will close again from January 19 to 26, 2024, inclusive, for the second week of the operation."
While Parks Canada is responsible for the park's operation and maintenance of the various ecosystems, traditional land belonging to Caldwell First Nation encompasses the park. The cull will control a large white-tailed deer population.
"It is estimated that the current deer herd population is two to three times higher than is ideal," said Grcevic. "Parks Canada has been collaborating with Caldwell First Nation for a number of years to actively manage the deer population in order to protect the park’s sensitive ecosystems."
The cull is just one component of the Hyperabundant Deer Management Program. It also involves monitoring ecosystems and deer population, protection of species-at-risk, and ongoing research.
Complete information about the hyberabundant species program at Point Pelee National Park can be found on the official Parks Canada website.
