Australian owner of pet deer fined — ABC News Australia
A court in South Australia fined an 81-year-old owner of dozens of deer in the Adelaide Hills $6,300 for failing to comply with an order requiring them to be tagged. The man kept between 30 and 40 animals, which he considered pets.
As ABC News Australia reports, the owner pleaded guilty to one count of failing to comply with a direction issued under South Australia’s Landscape Act. The maximum penalty for such an offence is $25,000.
Attempts to attach tags
Under state legislation, pet deer older than 12 months must have permanent ear tags bearing an identification number linked to the keeper’s property. Tagging is also mandatory before animals are moved to another property.
A landscape inspector found untagged deer in April 2022 and ordered the owner to comply by the end of August that year. He was granted extensions several times, but the direction was never carried out.
More current news is available on the UA.News Telegram channel Telegram.
The court found that the man had tried to attach the tags himself, but he and one of his sons were injured during those attempts. The owner also tried to tag the deer after they shed their antlers and sought help from a person associated with Monarto Zoo to administer a tranquilizer to the animals. These attempts were unsuccessful because it was not possible to approach the deer safely.
Court decision
Senior Judge Michael Durrant noted that the deer had been described as skittish animals with sharp antlers. He also took into account that the facilities for keeping and handling the deer on the property had been destroyed by fire and had still not been restored to their previous condition.
The judge noted that the circumstances did not indicate a deliberate refusal by the man to engage with regulatory authorities or a lack of effort to meet the requirement. At the same time, practical difficulties did not relieve him of the obligation to comply with the direction. The court took into account the owner’s advanced age and health condition, the absence of previous offences, limited financial means, and cooperation with authorities. All deer older than 12 months were ordered to be tagged by the end of November.
