Point Pelee National Park will close in two weeks for a deer cull.
The first deer cull of 2025 is between January 24 and January 31.
Parks Canada and members of the Caldwell First Nation will conduct the cull, and the park will shut down for public safety.
On February 1, the park will reopen.
The First Nation will participate because the park is part of its traditional territory.
A hyperabundance of white-tailed deer in Point Pelee National Park threatens the sensitive forest and savannah ecosystems, and based on current data, the current population remains higher than the environment can support.
The collaboration between Caldwell First Nation and Parks Canada started many years ago and presents an opportunity to share traditional practices with First Nation youth and strengthen connections to the land.
The Hyperabundant Deer Management Program includes ecosystem monitoring, deer population monitoring, species at risk protection, and ongoing research. Its goal is to achieve ecological integrity.
