Thermal cameras helping aerial shooters 'effectively' cull feral deer and keep them out of Canberra

Australia Broadcast Center

11-05-2025

Rabbits may jump to mind when thinking of introduced pests causing problems in Canberra, but deer pose issues for the bush capital too.
Feral deer can be found running wild not only in the ACT's Namadgi National Park and Tidbinbilla Nature Reserve, but also along river corridors and in nature reserves surrounding Canberra's southern and western suburbs.
They're a problem not confined to the territory's borders, with deer having significant environmental, economic and social impacts across the country.
But unlike some other urban centres, Canberra is ahead of the game, with the ACT government implementing a thermal-assisted aerial culling and monitoring program to keep deer numbers under control and out of the suburbs.
Mark Sweaney, assistant director of invasive animals and overabundant wildlife programs, said the ACT was "very lucky" to be in the proactive stage of deer control.
"Other parts of Australia are coping with peri-urban deer populations, where they've got established populations that they're having to do control within the urban area, which makes it very difficult," he said.
"It presents all sorts of social and ecological issues, including traffic issues, animal welfare issues, the techniques that are available are a lot more limited."
Given the layout of the bush capital, Mr Sweaney said it was essential deer were kept at bay, as their numbers could quickly multiply.
"We're seeing early signs of deer spreading into town," he said.
"It's really important that we keep the number of animals under control in these areas, so they don't become established in town.
Keeping the deer numbers in check requires constant management, support and technology — and that's where thermal imaging has been a game changer.
"We were one of the first to use thermal-assisted aerial control, and so far, it's proven very effective to help us maintain that control," Mr Sweeney said.
"So we have relatively low densities of some of the worst species, like feral deer, feral pigs."
Since 2021, ACT Parks and Conservation has been using thermal-assisted aerial control programs for detecting, culling and preventing the further spread of deer with "positive results".
Mr Sweaney said the use of thermal camera technology significantly increased the effectiveness and efficiency of aerial shooting.
"We have the shooter and the thermal camera operator sitting next to each other, and that means they're both looking at the same area of ground, and that increases the effectiveness."
The crew takes to the air during the "most ideal conditions for thermal", being the first and final few hours of daylight, Mr Sweaney said.
"We can't fly at night. That's only the military that can do that at the moment in Australia," he said.
This year's cull is currently underway and will run through until May 30.
There is no set quota ahead of each aerial cull season, with the objective being to reduce deer numbers with the time and funding available.
In 2024, the program removed 771 vertebrate pest animals including 350 deer, while in 2023 there were around 500 animals removed.
Mr Sweaney said camera monitoring was helping to assess how effective the control programs were, and whether animals were adapting to aerial shooting.
"There is evidence that animals do learn, particularly feral pigs, about aerial shooting," he said.
"So we're keeping a close eye on what's happening, particularly in Namadgi National Park."
Deer were introduced to Australia in the 19th century as game animals, then later in the 1980s in a push to farm deer for venison.
Australia is now home to six species of deer: fallow, red, chital, hog, rusa and sambar — and the wild ones are completely feral.
ACT Parks and Conservation executive branch manager Michaela Watts said deer were becoming an emerging threat.
"Especially in some of our endangered ecosystems in the high country alpine bogs and fens, but also in the peri-urban area," Ms Watts said.
"We use this program to control the spread of feral species, and stop them from breaching other sensitive areas and the urban areas."
Ms Watts said thermally-assisted aerial control programs were the most effective way to control feral species.
"[They're] more effective than ground shooting by professionals," she said.
"It's also humane for the animals that we'll be targeting as part of this program."
Due to logistics and the remoteness of the operations, Ms Watts said the carcasses were not used but left in situ, with ground crews following up if an animal was at risk of contaminating waterways in the catchment.
The Australian Deer Association (ADA) considers the deer a valuable resource, and it would like to build a collaborative relationship with governments and land management agencies to assist in culls and make use of the venison.
ADA ACT-Snowy Mountains branch president Phoebe Youd has been hunting for 11 years.
"We're using the natural resources around us, and I think that's really important, because we're part of the balance of the ecosystem."
Beyond being recreation, it's also a passion that puts the problem onto the plate.
"It's the shared passion and being able to feed the family knowing that what we're actually eating is quite literally free-range, organic fast food," Ms Youd said.
In other parts of Australia, recreational shooters have been part of the control programs — but in the ACT there is no hunting on public land.
Ms Youd would like to build a relationship between the local branch of the ADA and ACT Parks and Conservation.
"We started, a couple of years ago, looking to collaborate in terms of how the deer people in the local area can be a useful resource for Parks and Conservation," she said.
"Especially in being able to get into areas where the choppers can't get into … I think that we have a huge role to play in being able to assist further with their management."
Ms Watts said she recognised the community of recreational shooters and acknowledged it was a valid pastime, but it was not part of the plan in tackling the emerging ecological crisis.
"In the areas that we're covering, they're remote and rugged, and the densities of animals are also quite low," she said.
"This is a program where we're trying to reduce the number of animals, so recreational hunting would be less desirable.