What is the Coyote Coexistence Initiative



Philadelphia Advocates for the Deer &

Friends of Animals-Pennsylvania

Peace in Fairmount Park: Strategies for Coexisting with White-tailed Deer

What is happening to the Deer in Fairmount Park?

In the West Fairmount Park, Wissahickon Valley and Pennypack Park areas of the Fairmount Park system the white-tailed deer who live there are being hunted. These hunts have been carried out by the Fairmount Park Commission for a number of years, reportedly for the purposes of reducing the impact the white-tailed deer have on the Park system’s vegetation and to reduce automobile collisions with deer.

In response to the deer hunts, local residents, together with their supporters throughout Greater Philadelphia, formed Philadelphia Advocates for the Deer (PAD) in Spring 2010 to cultivate respect for deer and other animals living in Philadelphia’s park system. PAD is committed to the long-term ecological health of Fairmount Park while respecting the park’s indigenous animals. Friends of Animals-Pennsylvania (FoA-PA) has joined with PAD to defend the deer. FoA-PA, a division of the international non-profit Friends of Animals, advocates for animals to live free on their own terms, the importance of biodiversity, and the habitat that is still available for animals in greater Philadelphia.

Why are you against the deer being killed in Fairmount Park?

We believe that as conscious beings the deer have the right to live freely on their own terms in the Park. Furthermore, we believe that it is possible to address the concerns of the Commission and members of the communities surrounding Fairmount Park without harming the deer.

Can we move the deer to another location?

In Pennsylvania, and several other states, it is illegal to relocate deer due to concerns about spreading certain diseases that deer are prone to having (e.g. Chronic Wasting Disease). Even if it were legal to relocate the deer, the capture and transportation of deer is extremely expensive. Reports of deer management strategies have estimated costs ranging from $400 to $3,000 for the capture and relocation of each deer. Also, given the number of communities that have promoted deer kills in the U.S. (e.g. Lower Merion Township PA, Valley Forge National Historical Park, Rock Creek Park in Washington DC, Ithaca NY, Poughkeepsie NY, Passaic County NJ) there are not many places that would be willing to accept these deer if they were to be captured and transported elsewhere.

Capture and relocation is also not advisable given its devastating impact upon the deer themselves. When this strategy has been implemented, a great many of the deer have died in the process of being captured and released into a new location. Reports prepared for both Connecticut and Michigan, who have similar deer issues to Pennsylvania, have argued against capture and relocation — in part, because the mortality rate of this deer management method is so high. Although deer do die in the process of being captured, the death rate is much higher once the deer are released into their new location, in part because once released the deer are more likely to wander onto roads and be hit by automobiles.

Is there anything that can be done?

Absolutely! Although we are opposed to killing the deer, we do not believe that the appropriate response is to do nothing. Fostering coexistence with free-living animals requires that we be proactive. In the case of white-tailed deer, it means that we address the reasons for a perceived need to persecute them, and we offer nonviolent solutions.

Lyme Disease

Lyme Disease is of great concern to many residents of Pennsylvania. It is important to remember that even in areas where Lyme Disease is endemic, 70-80% of the ticks are not infected with Borrelia burgdorferi and the risk of becoming infected after being bitten by a tick in a Lyme Disease endemic area is around 1.4%. There are several steps people can take to prevent getting the disease. Two effective personal protective measures are the use of protective clothing (e.g. long pants, long-sleeved shirts) and the use of tick repellents on clothing or skin. Additional measures that can be taken are the avoidance of areas where ticks are prevalent, frequent self-examination for ticks, the removal of ticks and the treatment of tick bites within 72 hours of a tick bite. People should be vigilant in putting these steps into practice during the months of May, June, July and August, when contraction of Lyme Disease is most likely to occur and adopt landscaping practices, such as removing brush and leaves between forest and lawn or recreational areas, which can reduce tick populations by 50-90%.

Automobile Collisions with Deer

Cars do hit deer; however erecting fences is one way to prevent deer from crossing roadways. Every review of accident prevention methods over the last 20 years in both the U.S. and Canada has demonstrated that well designed and maintained fences, used in combination with one-way gates and under-and-over passes, is the most effective method of averting these accidents. The reduction in such accidents at sites that have implemented these measures has ranged from 77-95%. There are different types of fencing available that can be either temporary or permanent and vary in a number of ways (e.g. cost, level of protection provided and amount of maintenance required to be effective).

Another effective option is the Strieter-lite system, which uses reflectors to create a strobe-like effect that deters deer, and other animals, from crossing a road until an automobile passes. The Strieter-lite system has been installed in several states (e.g. MD, NJ, NY, VA, WA). This system has greatly reduced the rate of these collisions. An evaluation of the Strieter-lite system demonstrated reductions in the number of collisions per mile per year by 78-90%. Installation of the Strieter-lite system is eligible for 90% funding under the Federal Highway Administration, Highway Safety Improvement Program and matching funds for installation may also be sought under the Transportation Equity Act for the 21st Century.

Protecting Vegetation

There are a number of strategies that individuals could adopt to protect their private property from deer. Residents can erect fences around their property that are sufficiently high to prevent deer from feeding upon their ornamental plants. Residents can also place deer guards around the trunks

of their trees to protect them from deer. Another strategy is to not include in gardens those plants that are most attractive to deer (e.g. Azaleas, Daylilies, Rhododendrons, Tulips, Yews) and instead choosing vegetation that deer do not find attractive. Although no plant is “deer proof” there are plants that deer prefer to browse than others (e.g. Striped Maple, Red Hickory, American holly, Umbrella Magnolia, Black Locust)

What You Can Do

Please contact the members of Philadelphia City Council listed below that represent the districts where the deer kills have been taking place, urging them to introduce legislation to ban the deer hunts in Fairmount Park. Also, if you would like to learn about opportunities to help PAD and FoA-PA defend the deer of Fairmount Park, please contact Mary Ann Baron, founder of Philadelphia Advocates for the Deer at maryannbaron3@ or (215) 432-7292. You may also contact Matthew McLaughlin, Director of Friends of Animals-Pennsylvania at philly@.

West Fairmount Park Pennypack Park

District 4 District 6

CURTIS JONES, JR. JOAN L. KRAJEWSKI

(215) 686-3416/3417 (215) 686-3444/3445

curtis.jones.jr@ joan.krajewski@

Wissahickon Valley

District 4 District 7

CURTIS JONES, JR. MARIA D. QUINONES-SANCHEZ

(215) 686-3416/3417 (215) 686-3448/3449

curtis.jones.jr@ maria.guinones.sanchez@

District 8 District 10

DONNA REED MILLER BRIAN J. O'NEILL

(215) 686-3424/3425 (215) 686-3422/3423

donna.miller@ brian.o'neill@

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