The deer of Rodopi, the last natural population of wild deer in Greece, have been reduced to a population of just 20 or 30 individuals as a result of illegal hunting by poachers, environmental groups reported on Tuesday.
In a joint announcement, the groups 'Callisto' and WWF Hellas said that two dead deer killed by hunters had been found in a car on the Drama-Xanthi national highway during an inspection by border police patrols. The Drama Forestry Authority was alerted and the culprits sued.
Deer were once found throughout mainland Greece but populations have shrunk to the point where they are now considered in 'critical danger' in the country and are included in the Red Book of Endangered Animals in Greece. The hunting of deer is banned, while the tiny population in Rodopi is at significant risk from poaching.
Environmental groups stressed that the once common red deer is now on the verge of extinction, with illegal hunting being one of the main threats to its survival.
ANA-MPA
