After a poll showed majority of people living in Oak Bay were unhappy with the large deer population, the municipality says it has come up with a solution and it’s not a cull.
Oak Bay is applying for a $20,000 grant from the province for a fertility control plan.
The deer would be trapped and injected with a contraceptive, which would prevent them from breeding for up to five years.
If the application is approved Oak Bay will match the grant.
The program would be run by the Urban Wildlife Stewardship Society.
There has been growing frustration in the community over the growing deer herd.
“Right now there are approximately 50 deer a year killed on our roads and in our yards and our fences in Oak Bay so we will see a fairly quick reduction as long as there’s no replacement of those deer,” said Oak Bay mayor Nils Jensen.
Just over 400 people took part in the recent poll, with 78 per cent saying they would support a deer cull.
