Less than14km from the Melbourne CBD, Sambar deer are common in parkland along the Yarra River. They are wary animals that are adept at hiding quietly in thickets during the day. However, signs of deer are common if you know what to look for: footprints, rub marks of antlers on trees, deer poo, and heavy grazing of plants. Tall heavy duty tree guards have become essential for protecting our plantings from grazing. As populations increase, there have also been several deer hit by vehicles on local roads. Deer are impressive animals, but they are another challenge that our parklands could do without.
Rubbing on a Casuarina that has ring barked the tree