LEAMINGTON, Ont. -- Parks Canada says it will begin a deer cull on Friday in an overpopulated national park in southwestern Ontario.
The federal agency says "population reduction" is part of a multi-year plan to restore the ecosystems in Point Pelee National Park.
They say white-tailed deer are "hyperabundant" in the area and pose a serious threat to forest and savannah ecosystems.
Parks Canada says an aerial survey in mid-December counted 84 deer in an area they say can support 24 to 32 deer.
They say the population has boomed due to a lack of natural predators such as wolves, bears and cougars, an abundance of leaf canopy and mild winters.
The agency says members of nearby Caldwell First Nation will be part of the cull and the park will remain closed until Jan. 23.
