ANIMALS IN OUR FOREST.

Forest and Bird, Issue 9, 1 June 1925, Page 6

ANIMALS IN OUR FOREST.

By Captain E. V. Sanderson, R.A.O.U.

In order to demonstrate the effects of those animals which now roam our forests, let us take two opposite extremes. We will first of all presume that man left New Zealand and took all his importations with him except the animals which now trespass in- our forests: Deer of various species, goats, opossums, pigs, wild cattle, etc. As none of these have any natural enemies, they would, of course, increase to vast numbers, the native forest would be totally destroyed and those plants we term noxious, because herbivorous animals will not eat them, would replace our own beautiful and valuable plant life; and the re-discoverer of this land would tell about the golden gorse-covered hills intermixed with impassable blackberry, African box-thorn and other such plants, which the animals could not or would not eat. On the other hand, let us suppose man left New Zealand and took all his importations with him. The native forest would immediately start to re-assert itself and would, much quicker than many suppose, assume the supremacy over nearly all imported plant life. Gorse, blackberry and the like would be overgrown and smothered; tauhinau and manuka would grow through the grass in the open areas, afford the requisite shade and shelter for our native trees, and in two hundred years or perhaps less, New Zealand would be back into its original native state and it would be again thronged with bird life. Now so far as those forests which it is necessary to conserve for beneficial, climatic and other reasons are concerned, the situation is in our hands. If we choose to tolerate animals in our forests, we are heading towards a noxious weed era just so fast or so slow according to the numbers of animals we allow to be present. Let us look the question squarely in the face. With deer and other animals present in great numbers in many of our forests the state of these forests gives us unerring reply; and if instances of the progressive deterioration and partial destruction of our forests are required, they can be found in any forests where animals are present, but very notably in South Westland and West Otago at the head of Lake Hawea, and other districts where the forest is disappearing in places and is being replaced by noxious plant life as a result of the depredations of herbivorous animals. What then must we think of those people who are so anxious to increase the number of animals in our forests

for their own gain or sport or that of tourists. No sportsman in the true sense of the term would risk even the possibility of such results to gratify his sport, but unfortunately there are others whose desire to gratify their self interests is greater than their love of our country. These calm their conscience by overlooking the question or by assuring themselves the damage is exaggerated. The present position of a small minority destroying our finest reserves is unthinkable. The remedying of this animal menace in our forests will surely become a very severe tax on every member of the community. Moreover, the very fact of deer and other animals being so numerous defeats the aims of those whose only desire is to secure head-trophies, as the size and shape of these trophies suffer as the plenitude and variety of feed lessen. A lady correspondent writes as follows: “All my life I’ve just loved trees, especially our native forests, and it has been appalling to me to see what is going on—l’ve just returned from a trip to the lakes. It is years since my former visit there, 20 or more years. Then the forest was dense, the trees most glorious. Now the deer have eaten right through, and as one man expressed himself, you can drive a horse and cart anywhere as far as the undergrowth is concerned, and when that goes, goodbye to the forests—lt is only a matter of time.”