Herd of 30 Deer to Escape Threat of Extinction
Thirty deer, the subject of proposals that they be shot, sterilized or allowed to die of disease, will instead be moved from a suburban regional park to a wilderness area and studied for stress, officials said Friday.
The tiny herd of Columbian black-tailed deer, believed to be descendants of those hunted by Ohlone Indians before Europeans arrived in California, must be moved because of the drought and encroaching civilization, authorities said.
‘ ‘These deer are trapped in a completely unnatural setting,” said Ira Bletz, supervisor of Ardenwood Regional Park. “Civilization has just crept up on them.”
The deer are scheduled to be trucked by mid-November about 20 miles east to the Ohlone wilderness area near Sunol. The animals will be fitted with radio transmitter collars to track their progress.
Start your day right
Sign up for Essential California for news, features and recommendations from the L.A. Times and beyond in your inbox six days a week.
You may occasionally receive promotional content from the Los Angeles Times.
