Oak Bay’s plan to put deer on birth control has run into some red tape. The B.C. government is asking for details on effectiveness and availability of the proposed contraceptive drug and specifics on method of capture and injection. “The serum called SpaVac is no longer available and what’s being proposed is rather experimental so the Provincial government wants to be sure it can be imported before they provide the funding.” Oak Bay Mayor Nils Jensen hopes to have the information in the hands of government by next week so they can have a decision early in January.
Invermere, Grand Forks, Elkford and Cranbrook will receive between 10- and 20-thousand dollars in matching funds to cull between 50 and 80 deer in each community.
Some of the funds will also support research into alternatives to killing the animals, such as relocation or administering immuno-contraceptive drugs to prevent them from reproducing.