Feral deer are chowing down on rare plant species in Australian alpine areas

Embargoed until: Publicly released: 2023-09-26 00:01

Australia; VIC; QLD

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The diet of feral deer in Australian alpine regions includes a range of rare native plants including the critically endangered Silky Snow-daily, according to Australian research, The team collected poo samples from feral sambar deer in Victoria's Alpine National Park to get a better sense of what the animals are eating and what risk they pose to biodiversity. The researchers say the deer have varied diets, but they appear to prefer herbaceous flowering plant species, including those of conservation significance.