Wollongong City Council staff and NSW Police have responded to feral deer in the North Wollongong precinct today. The animals were spotted by Council staff and community members early this morning, Thursday 4 July 2019.
The deer had entered the surf at North Beach and were ushered from the water by Council Lifeguards on jetskis. One deer is believed to have run into nearby bushland at Puckeys Estate. Another deer climbed the embankment near to the Continental Pool. Due to concerns for both the animal's welfare and community safety - as the deer was alongside Cliff Road and the Blue Mile Tramway Shared Pathway - the area was cordoned off to ensure public safety and the animal tranquilised onsite by an appropriately qualified contactor. Once tranquilised, it was euthanized. NSW Police worked closely with Council staff to ensure community safety while this work was undertaken.
Council considers wild deer to be a pest species. At this time of year feral deer are in their "rutting" season and during this time they are much more likely to roam. We encourage community members who see or encountered deer in the city to report the sighting by calling our Customer Service team on (02) 4227 7111 or recording your observations directly into Deer Scan, a national database of deer observations https://www.feralscan.org.au/deerscan/. By collecting information on the whereabouts of deer in the city, we will better be able to direct our Illawarra Wild Deer Management Program, coordinated by South East Local Land Services, to help reduce the numbers of these feral pests.
