The Department of Conservation has confirmed 7400 tahr kills on public conservation land for the culling season, but it is likely still some way off reducing the population to its 10,000 target. “Between mid-July and early November, we aerially controlled 7481 tahr on public conservation land to protect alpine ecosystems from the impacts of high tahr densities,” DOC’s tahr programme lead James Holborow said. Tahr numbers, between 2016 and autumn 2019 were estimated by DOC to be approximately 34,500 on public conservation land. DOC will meet with the Tahr Plan Implementation Liaison Group in December to begin engagement on a Tahr Control Operational Plan for 2021/22. Meanwhile, DOC and Land Information New Zealand are conducting a survey of the tahr population on Crown Pastoral Lease land.

Source: Stuff November 26, 2020 04:07 UTC