Man fined for failing to tag 'flighty' pet deer with 'sharp antlers'
An Adelaide Hills man who kept dozens of deer as "pets" has been fined after his repeated efforts to comply with an order to place permanent ear tags on the "flighty animals with sharp antlers" failed.
An 81-year-old man from Adelaide Hills has been fined $6,300 for not complying with a court order to tag his pet deer with ear tags. Despite making several attempts to tag the animals, including using a tranquilliser, the man failed to successfully complete the task. The court found that his difficulties did not justify his failure to comply with the law.
Senior Judge Michael Durrant ruled that the man, who had a strong attachment to the 30-40 deer on his property, was given multiple opportunities to comply but was still obligated to do so. The judge noted that the man's advanced age, poor health, lack of prior offenses, limited financial means, and overall cooperation with authorities did not excuse his violation of the regulation.
The law requires domestic deer over 12 months old to have a permanent ear tag with an identification number linked to the keeper's property, as well as being tagged before moving to another property.
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