New York Town Proposes Contraception for Deer Population

The mayor of a suburban New York town is proposing a plan to inject deer with birth control to contain their population.

Hastings-on-Hudson Mayor Peter Swiderski tells The New York Times that he plans to submit a formal application within a month to the state Department of Environmental Conservation.

Tufts University's Center for Animals and Public Policy Director Dr. Allen Rutberg says the vaccine can control the population using the animal's immune system to prevent fertilization.
 
Rutberg says the deer need to be tranquilized, tagged and injected once every two years.
 
The Hudson Valley town is about 2 square miles and there are an estimated 70 to 120 deer there. That's far more than what is considered tolerable.
 
Hastings-on-Hudson is about 4 miles north of the Bronx.
 

Copyright AP - Associated Press
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