Walls of Jerusalem to be closed for culling of wild deer

The Tasmanian Parks and Wildlife Service is undertaking phase two of its wild fallow deer control project after completing the first round in June 2023.

The national park will be closed along with the western section of the Central Plateau Conservation Area for more than a month.

The area will be restricted to the public from April 29 to June 2 as an aerial shooting program takes place from a helicopter using thermal technology.

"This method is currently being used in several mainland jurisdictions with great success, however this is the first time it will be used in Tasmania," the report read.

Current estimates place the fallow deer's population at somewhere between 100 and 300 members within the area.

The report stated that the species was "a threat to the natural values" of the Tasmanian Wilderness World Heritage Area.

"Deer erode and damage soils and waterways, trample sensitive plant communities, browse at a level above native animals as well as eating different plants," it read.

"In large numbers, deer can substantially modify the ecosystems in which they live. Fallow deer can also be the vectors of animal diseases and spread plant pathogens."

The operation was scheduled for May 2023 and 2024 due to its favourable weather conditions and minimised impact on recreational users and wildlife.

"May is the end of the rut with deer still in groups and trying to fatten up prior to the start of winter," the report said.

"It is after the end of the brown trout recreational fishing season, which closes on April 30, and before the wedge-tailed eagle breeding season commences in June."

All deer will be shot by trained staff from the Department of Natural Resources and Environment and left to decompose unless the body poses a social, health or environmental risk.

"Carcasses will be removed from watercourses, near reserve and hydro infrastructure (walking tracks, huts, campgrounds) and close to roads and vehicle tracks. All other carcasses will be left to decompose," the report stated.