Last Stand of Our Axis Deer Family, Point Reyes

January 27, 2008

Point Reyes National Seashore, CA - On Friday, January 25th, hired killers White Buffalo, Inc. stormed Muddy Hollow and began shooting the remnants of the Fallow Deer population. This week, sometime between Monday and Thursday, White Buffalo's gunmen will use helicopters to herd the last of the Axis deer family into a hole where they will be shot en masse. This tiny herd of beautiful Axis deer is all that is left, and is highly valued by local people, but NPS officials have reprimanded Park employees for letting the public know about the secret plans for this inhumane slaughter. Park officials are paying overtime to park employees to quickly remove the carcasses so that their actions will be unseen.

The roster of those opposed to the brutal killing of the Fallow and Axis Deer include the Humane Society of the United States, Sen. Carol Migden, Rep. Lynn Woolsey, In Defense of Animals, and WildCare.

"The Humane Society of the United States has become very concerned with the program apparently designed to exterminate non-native deer at Point Reyes National Seashore," writes John Grandy, Senior Vice President, Wildlife and Habitat Program, Humane Society of the United States. "We have contacted Senator Boxer's office... to expand on these concerns and offer humane non-lethal alternatives for reducing vegetation changes caused by those species to acceptable levels, where necessary."

The National Park Service has, so far, turned down and disregarded all requests for humane management of the Fallow and Axis deer, regardless of the fact that these are coming from elected officials and institutes as highly regarded as the local and national Humane Society.

Friends of the White Deer and the citizens of West Marin have made ongoing efforts to halt the hired killings of the deer who are not only valued by locals but are also of tremendous appeal to the millions of tourists who visit the Point Reyes National Seashore each year. For many, a visit to this corner of Northern California represents the only life opportunity to stand face to face with deer as rare and wonderful as the Axis deer who will be completely obliterated by the end of this week.

Outraged citizens now have film footage in hand of White Buffalo Inc.'s methods of slaughter, which include gunning down deer from helicopters, chasing them with dogs, and suffocating them with plastic bags. Local people have repeatedly found gut shot deer in the area, despite White Buffalo's media spin claims that their method of killing is a single shot to the head. Park neighbors have also reported gunshots being fired around their private properties.

The photographs accompanying this article are likely to be the last record of the gentle and proud local Axis deer tribe that the public will ever see. There are helicopters stationed in the Park and roads have been blocked. The NPS and White Buffalo, Inc. will ignore the queries and wishes of senators, representatives, compassionate national institutions, and sincerely expressed public opinion unless they are ordered to halt the killings. The week of January 28 - February 1 is our last chance to save our innocent Axis deer from destruction.