If you’ve ever seen a deer around Adelaide, your first instinct might have been to go “aww, cute”, but they are actually pests causing lots of problems from environmental damage to car crashes.
Feral deer are introduced pest animals which trample and eat native plants, cause damage to creeks and rivers, impact on farming land, and are a hazard on our roads.
Deer are becoming more of a concern in our urban areas because their population is growing and spreading.
Learn more about Adelaide’s deer problem, why they are a pest, and what is being done to manage them.
How big is Adelaide’s deer population?
Our best guess is that there are around 40,000 feral deer in South Australia, including around 2,000 in the Greater Adelaide and Mount Lofty area.
They have been regularly sighted in the Mitcham and Belair area, as well as along the foothills of Adelaide. They’re also found north of Adelaide, around places such as Gawler and Buckland Park.
Beyond our urban area, you’ll unfortunately find lots living in the Adelaide hills. They are even regularly sighted as you head up the freeway toward the hills.
Why are deer a pest problem?
Looks can be deceiving, but once you know the impact feral deer can have, you might find them less cute.
Feral deer will trample, squash and strip back native plants, devastating areas such as conservation parks and reserves, or even your garden.
They are also a serious hazard on the road. In fact, across the country its costing motorists around $13.2 million on vehicle collisions with deer.
And hey, while this might not impact you directly, feral deer present a huge risk for our farmers, which will ultimately impact on your day-to-day grocery bills.
They eat grass meant for other grazing animals such as cows and sheep, and can even get into crops and cause a mess. In 2022, it was estimated that feral deer cost the SA agricultural industry an estimated $36 million.
Given their impact on plants, road safety and farming, feral deer are widely regarded as Australia’s worst emerging pest – topping even rabbits and cats.
Not so cute now, huh?
How did the deer problem get so bad?
Feral deer populations can grow really rapidly.
Deer were first introduced in the early 19th century by European settlers for sport but many unfortunately escaped these hunting properties.
Part of the problem is that deer have babies really fast—about 35% more every year. That means they keep multiplying quickly, so now there are a lot more deer causing a lot more problems!
Despite control programs across the state underway, deer numbers in South Australia are at their highest ever level. In fact, recent modelling suggested that without more intervention, deer numbers could explode to more than 350,000 by 2031. That’s an enormous jump from 40,000 currently!
What is a feral deer?
A feral deer is defined as any deer not registered and kept in captivity.
There are 7 species in Australia:
- fallow deer (Dama dama)
- red deer (Cervus elaphus)
- hog deer (Axis porcinus)
- chital deer (also known as axis or spotted deer) (Axis axis)
- rusa deer (also known as Timor deer) (Cervus timorensis)
- sambar deer (Cervus unicolor)
- wapiti (also known as elk) (Cervus canadensis).
But there are 2 you’re more likely to see in SA, the fallow deer and red deer.
What is being done to control deer?
A new statewide control plan has been developed to address South Australia’s deer problem over the next 10 years. This plan is being led by our friends at PIRSA, but when it comes to deer, we can all play a part in helping to reduce their numbers.
For here in Adelaide and the surrounding area, we are working with Hills & Fleurieu Landscape Board on a new Regional Deer Eradication Plan.
This plan aims to ramp up efforts to eradicate deer from the area by 2032 by using a range of control tools to help reduce deer numbers around Adelaide.
What can you do to help?
If you have a property where you regularly see deer, you might be eligible for assistance with deer management. Find out more and register your property.
Otherwise, we can always use more help spotting deer!
If you see a deer on the wild, be sure to place a record in FeralScan. This can help us build a map of where deer are living in our landscape, and potentially identify trends in how their population is growing.
Want to know more?
Learn more about feral deer, or other pest animals of Adelaide.