The Plante government called for patience Monday amid the increase in deer numbers in east Montreal and the resulting increase in collisions.
Posted at 1:56 p.m.
Following a La Presse file on the phenomenon, the person responsible for the file argued that the city was still waiting for the report of a committee of experts formed in spring 2022 before making a decision.
“It is not a decision that we take lightly to slaughter animals,” Laurence Lavigne-Lalonde argued to the council in the face of questions from the opposition. “We will make our decisions public when they are made, and not before.” »
Ms. Lavigne-Lalonde has just inherited the large parking file. His predecessor, Caroline Bourgeois, indicated last month that the “implementation of the proposed intervention plan is being evaluated,” according to local newspaper Est Média Montréal.
“I find it difficult to follow all these contradictions,” complained Stéphanie Valenzuela, an elected opposition official. “Deer overpopulation in East Montreal has reached a critical level. »
At the last count, conducted by the Environment Ministry in February 2023, there were 127 deer in east Montreal, while a 2021 report recommended keeping only between 13 and 19 deer.
Deer live mainly in the Pointe-aux-Prairies Natural Park, the Grou Coulee and the adjacent golf course, but can also be spotted in the Anjou golf area.
Already in 2021, 64 deer could be counted through an inventory, i.e. the herd. , hence the slaughter of 45 to 51 animals.
The number of collisions between cars and deer has also increased in recent years: According to the Society of Deer, there have been 126 on the island in five years, including 37 in 2022, with five people suffering minor injuries. Car insurance Quebec (SAAQ). No data is yet available for 2023.