Point Pelee National Park, winter 2021. (Photo by Maureen Revait) Point Pelee National Park, winter 2021. (Photo by Maureen Revait)
Windsor

Temporary closure at Point Pelee National Park

Point Pelee National Park will be closed for a couple weeks in January for a deer cull.

Parks Canada is working with Caldwell First Nation to reduce the deer population in an effort to protect the long-term health of the park's sensitive ecosystems.

The park will be closed from January 6 -January 20, 2022.

According to Parks Canada, the high population of white-tailed deer is a serious threat to forest and savannah health at the park.

"The deer in the park are consuming and damaging native plants faster than they can regenerate, threatening the health of the Carolinian Forest, which is home to a number of species at risk such as the Red Mulberry Tree, Eastern Wood-pewee, and Eastern Foxsnake," read an information bulletin from Parks Canada.

It's estimated the park can support about 24-32 deer and at the moment the deer herd is about two times higher than that.

The national park will reopen on January 21, 2021.

Read More Local Stories