DEER at Ardralla just outside Skibbereen town are presenting a danger to motorists, a concerned resident has claimed.

‘They are crossing the N71 regularly, particularly near the dangerous bend at New Court, a very acute bend on the road between Skibbereen and Ballydehob that has been the location of numerous accidents,’ said local man, John McNamara.

‘They mostly cross in the evening, at dusk. They don’t wait for cars to cross, they just shoot across quickly, and if there is anything in the way – a car or a cyclist or whatever – they won’t stop. They will plough through you,’ he added.

John said such an accident occurred two weeks ago when a deer hit a car and caused €4,000 worth of damage. A bus immediately followed and sliced the deer in two, and the carcass was left on the side of the road.

John said: ‘I called to the council office about six weeks ago to highlight the dangers of deer crossing the N7, but I didn’t get a positive response, other than to say it would be passed on to the engineer’s department.

‘I was asked if I thought it would be appropriate to put up a sign,’ said John, who agreed that a sign might help. ‘But it won’t deal with the problem.

‘I phoned the council again, two weeks ago, when that deer was killed, and I got the same response. I was so frustrated I called to The Southern Star to highlight the issue.’

John explained that a small number of deer were released into the bog at Ardralla about 35 years ago, and they have grown to become a herd of about 30.

He said they hunker down by day in the bog at Ardralla, which gives them really good ground cover. ‘They lie low. But this is the rutting season so they are going right across the road up to Skeagh Wood.’

John added: ‘They pose a danger, not alone to the people in transport on the N71, but also due to the fact that they carry a tick, which can cause Lyme Disease in humans.

‘These deer are not native. They were released into the bog to put them out of sight and out of mind. They have proliferated and there has been no culling of them.’

John said he is concerned for his neighbours and friends. ‘I believe there is going to be a fatality if something positive isn’t done soon.’

John, who lives two miles from Ardralla, in Lake Marsh said: ‘I go in that road twice a day, but I am in dread of my life. That’s no exaggeration because they, moving at speed, could come through a windscreen. There’s no stopping them. They are big and they don’t heed anything – lights or cars – they just run right through.’

Last November, also during rutting season, Cllr Finbarr Harrington (Ind) tabled a motion at a meeting of the West Cork Municipal District requesting the licensed culling of deer in Killarney be extended to West Cork because the overpopulation of deer herds is causing traffic chaos.  Cllr Harrington asked the council to liaise with the National Parks and Wildlife Service and to introduce a cull to address the problem.

A spokesperson for Cork County Council said: ‘Given the transitory nature of deer, especially during autumn, the placing of roadside warning signage will be informed by collaboration with NPWS. The matter shall be referred to the  roads and transportation strategic policy committee.