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The ACT government shot over 150 deer in Murrumbidgee and Molonglo River corridors as part of an aerial cull last week. Rangers shot 152 fallow deer, four of the larger sambar deer, 11 feral pigs and one feral goat. ACT Parks' invasive animal manager Oliver Orgill said an independent vet monitored the cull and inspected over 50 carcasses. "The auditing revealed all feral deer were culled humanely," Mr Orgill said. Deer are not native to Australia. Mr Orgill said they grazed on native plants, killed young trees by rubbing their antlers on them and damaged riparian environments with their hooves. He said parks staff had been able to significantly reduce emerging feral deer populations around Canberra before they had a chance to become established. "This will reduce impacts on our nature reserves and surrounding farmland," Mr Orgill said. Pest experts are concerned unchecked deer populations could soon cause traffic chaos in Canberra. Meanwhile, a cull of over 4000 kangaroos began earlier in May with the animals to be shot over eight weeks. At the same time rangers are concerned about a brumby population across the border in Kosciuszko National Park, which are being protected by the NSW government. The end of the deer cull saw several reserves and walking trails across Canberra reopen, including parts of the Centenary Trail.

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