Rhodes planning to control deer overpopulation

The number of "platoni," a subspecies of fallow deer (Dama dama), living in forested areas of the southeastern Aegean island of Rhodes has jumped from around 200 a few years ago to more than 5,000, according to a recent census conducted as part of a plan for their management, in response to the problem caused by their overpopulation, mainly in terms of crop damage.

"The solution to the problem is a local management plan which will be elaborated by the Rhodes Forest Service, which is already dealing with this issue," an island deputy governor told the Athens-Macedonian News Agency, noting that there is indeed a problem with the population explosion of deer on the island, which also cause road accidents.

The platoni are a protected species found exclusively on the island and are inextricably linked to its heritage.