Polish elk go forth and multiply thanks to mild winters, culling moratorium
PR dla Zagranicy
Aleksander Nowacki
26.03.2015 12:35
Poland’s elk population has doubled in some regions in a mere two years, the environment ministry finds.
Too much of a good thing, say some. Photo: http://www.public-domain-image.com
The population in the Lubelskie region on the border with Ukraine and Belarus has doubled to 5,000 since 2013, daily Gazeta Polska Codziennie reports, citing ministerial data. Last year, the region boasted a mere 2,700 elks.
The population of the wetland-dwelling deer is the highest since Wold War II thanks to mild winters and the moratorium on elk hunting introduced in 2001.
As the roaming animals cause traffic accidents and gobble up crops, pressure is mounting for a mandatory culling. But the idea is opposed by both greens and scientists. (an)
Source: PAP/ Gazeta Polska Codziennie