In 1870, Java’s governor sent 12 rusa deer to New Caledonia as a gift; they multiplied into an estimated 250,000 to 370,000 invasive animals

In 1870, 12 rusa deer arrived in New Caledonia. Their descendants now number up to 370,000, threaten native plants, and are difficult to control. Invasive species often sneak in by accident. In New Caledonia, a French island territory in the South Pacific, the story was quite different. In 1870, 12 rusa deer arrived from Java, and legend says the governor of Java sent them as a diplomatic gift. According to a 2024 study in the European Journal of Wildlife Research by Alain Frantz and colleagues, the entire island population descends from those 12 founders. The team cites an estimate of between 250,000 and 370,000 deer, a figure from 2011.A herd of rusa deer, the species that grew from 12 animals brought to New Caledonia in 1870. (Wikimedia Commons)How 12 deer turned into hundreds of thousandsThe new home of the deer was very different from their home in Java. Native plants in New Caledonia evolved without the presence of grazing animals, including deer, according to a 2003 review in Pacific Conservation Biology. The herd then grew rapidly. Frantz’s team calls it a dramatic expansion, putting the population at over 200,000 by 1940, a figure they credit to that review. Today, the deer inhabit nearly every land habitat on the main island, Grande Terre. In savannas and dry forests, they reach particularly high numbers. The team sees the animals as a major threat to the environment.What deer do to native plantsNew Caledonia is a biodiversity hotspot, with more than 3,400 species of vascular plants recorded, the researchers note. Some 74% are found only on these islands. Browsing by deer, the study shows, can stop natural regeneration of dry forest, and the animals also lead to soil erosion by overgrazing and bark stripping from trees.Deep DiveThe deer arrived as a gift and ended up threatening native plants. (Wikimedia Commons)So what then do the deer eat? The review’s authors, Michel de Garine-Wichatitsky and colleagues, pulled together reports, expert answers, and early field surveys. The menu included many types of plants: 25 grasses, 15 forbs, 26 trees and shrubs, and 12 vines and ferns. But the thorns and spines did not keep the deer away. Nearly half (49%) of the principal and preferred food plants were alien species, while 56% of the plants the deer avoided were native. The review adds that more research was needed to confirm these results.Why controlling the herd is so difficultPeople have tried to act. Ten priority areas for deer control are identified in an island-wide plan. In three of these, there have been big hunts since 2018, some from helicopters. The team tested the DNA of 628 legally hunted deer collected in 2018 and 2019 to discover how the deer moved.Their results suggest that deer form one genetic population on Grande Terre. While females remained close to their homes, males were found wandering. The landscape hardly affected their movements. In other words, there was little on the island that prevented deer from moving around freely. This is important when it comes to management. In practice, the authors warn, removing deer from a specific priority area can be undone by deer migrating in from surrounding areas, and reducing their numbers may be impossible without substantial funding.For local residents, the deer are part of everyday life. Hunting is important, and venison is a major source of protein for local communities. More than 150 years after the first 12 deer arrived, the island needs to weigh nature, cost, and culture together.The Hindustan Times US Desk brings you the latest news and developments from across the United States. The team covers everything from breaking news and politics to sports, business, entertainment and stories that are trending across the country. 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