Montreal Suburb Begins Controversial Deer Cull to Reduce Population in Local Park

A Montreal suburb began an operation on Tuesday to kill white-tailed deer in one of its local parks after years of legal battles with activists seeking to save the animals. A spokesman for the City of Longueuil confirmed that Michel-Chartrand park is closed to the public while hunters armed with air rifles reduce the size of the herd. “The city confirms that the deer overpopulation control operation is currently underway,” Raphaël Larocque-Cyr wrote in an email. “In order to ensure safety and ensure the smooth running of the operation, Michel-Chartrand Park is closed until further notice.” The city just south of Montreal has been trying to carry out a cull since 2020, but it faced a strong backlash and legal challenges from animal rights groups over the fate of the deer. Earlier this month the administration said it had received a provincial environment department permit to proceed with the operation, the final step needed to begin the cull. The meat from the deer is expected to be distributed to community organizations....