Dom: RAIN IS BACK IN SYRACUSE WHICH MEANS TICKS ARE COMING BACK. OUR KEANU HAGHIGHI TELLS US OF AN ANIMAL WHO’S CARRYING THESE TICKS, AND WHAT THE CITY IS DOING TO LIMIT THEIR REACH.
Reporter: It’s not rare to spot deer roaming around parks like the one I’m at right now. But the overpopulation of deer is bringing invasive species of ticks to Syracuse. These ticks are the reason why cases of Lyme Disease have jumped up over the past few years.
Today, the Syracuse Common Council agreed on baiting and killing the deer in a feeding area to lower the deer population. This process is also known as culling. If the vote passes, culling will begin later this fall. No specific location has been determined, but local residents will be notified if they live near the culling area.
Ferrare: “Syracuse Police Department is an important partner. They’ll be aware of everything that is happening on the ground. So if residents hear something or have a question, we’ll be able to get information from the police department. And there will be community education about what’s happening in the fall.”
In order to control the deer population, a third of them need to be eliminated every year. The deer that are killed will be butchered and their meat will be donated to a food bank. Reporting from Thorden Park Keanu Haghighi, NCC News.
By KEANU HAGHIGHI SYRACUSE, N.Y. (NCC News) — The Syracuse Common Council has decided to take swift action against deer in the area as a result of the sharp increase of Lyme disease in the area.
A large reason for this jump is because of the overpopulation of deer, which carry invasive tick species with them. In April, Mayor Ben Walsh organized an advisory group to find solutions to control the deer population. On Tuesday, Kristina Ferrare, a member on the advisory group, revealed what the group’s preferred long-term solution was.
“The city of Syracuse is planning to hire USDA sharpshooters. They are a safe and very professional team that conducts deer management in the state of New York,” said Ferrare.
The plan is to bait and kill the deer in a feeding area to lower the deer population. This process is also known as culling. If the vote passes, culling will begin later this fall. No specific location has been determined, but local residents will be notified if they live near the culling area.
A vote on the plan may occur as early as next week.
