A park manager has said the increase in deer numbers “isn’t as accurate as what is portrayed” and that culling has been at it highest level in recent years.

Councillors at a recent Killarney Municipal District described deer numbers as “absolutely off the Richter scale” and that they were “nearly as numerous as the cars” on one particular stretch of road.

They highlighted the numbers as a road safety issue, citing numerous reports of near road misses with the animal.

Eamonn Meskell, Divisional Manager NPWS, Killarney National Park, acknowledged there were “a lot of deer” but said “the explosion of population isn’t as accurate as what is portrayed”.

“We haven’t done a total population number for the park; it would add no value…numbers are estimated from our own experience of being in the park and areas where we know the deer are in large numbers. Resources are better devoted to culling than counting.”

“You probably have in the region of 700 to 800 deer in Killarney National Park through 27,000 acres…so that is where we’re at and that’s where we’re trying to control the numbers.”

Measurements that contribute to this estimation include faecal pellet analysis, levels of damage to valuable habitats and walking population surveys.

Mr Meskell highlighted the difficulties of achieving an accurate count, citing an elaborate mountain survey conducted in 2024. Park rangers walked in 11 roughly parallel lines across the mountainside below the Devil’s Punchbowl, counting animals sighted on their left.

“You might walk through an area one day and see two sika deer and then walk through the same area the next day and see 75 sika deer,” said Mr Meskell.

“It’s also very hard to get hard evidence of deer in 27,000 acres with such varied habitats as we have. You’re talking about the mountain, which is very difficult to walk in places…and all the areas in between – the peatland, wet peat and dry peat, the boglands, the woodlands, the grasslands and the whole lake edge.”

A total of 392 deer were culled in Killarney National Park during 2025, representing a 37 per cent increase on the previous year.

The cull included 276 non-native Sika deer and 116 native Killarney Red Deer, of which Mr Meskell said there are similar overall numbers.

Sika deer were introduced to Ireland from Japan during the 1860s but escaped captivity in County Wicklow to roam wild.

“This year and last year were two of the most heavily culled years we’ve had,” said Mr Meskell.

“I wouldn’t say we have them in check, but we are taking a large number of the population out the system.”

“There was an increase during the Covid years because there was no culling. Those two years really bumped up the population.”

Kerry County Council is currently rolling out a deer control system alongside a driver alert scheme, to help prevent car accidents.

The pilot, however, has come under criticism by some councillors who have labelled it “ridiculous”.

“There’s going to be fatalities,” said Council Brendan Cronin at a recent Kerry County Council meeting.

“These lads are multiplying. They’re everywhere and there’s no restriction.”

Funded by the Local Democracy Reporting scheme