Residents of Kelowna香蕉视频直播檚 Upper Mission are fighting back against what they say is an increasing deer population in the area.

Four residents have gathered more than 1,000 signatures on a petition calling for a deer cull.

Petition organizer Ken Walker moved to the area in the 1980s and said he has seen an increasing deer problem in the last four years.

香蕉视频直播淲e were hearing people from the Upper Mission were fed up,香蕉视频直播� he said, noting the deer have been destroying gardens and threatening people香蕉视频直播檚 animals.

香蕉视频直播淏efore you know you have no bush left, it香蕉视频直播檚 a bunch of sticks.香蕉视频直播�

The deer have grown so accustomed to being around people they香蕉视频直播檙e having babies in residents香蕉视频直播� backyards, he said.

香蕉视频直播淭hey香蕉视频直播檙e really domesticated animals.香蕉视频直播�

Walker believes there香蕉视频直播檚 no alternative way to control the population.

He referenced the City of Cranbrook, in January and early February and removed as many as 100 deer from the area.

香蕉视频直播淲e香蕉视频直播檝e done nothing in the last four or five years and they香蕉视频直播檝e gotten worse and worse,香蕉视频直播� said Walker.

The petition will be brought to the city in the next few days.

Mayor Colin Basran said he hasn香蕉视频直播檛 heard about the petition and Kelowna hasn香蕉视频直播檛 had a deer cull in recent history.

There has been an increase in service requests for deer on private properties in the past few years, said parks services manager Blair Stewart, however the issue is not as large as Cranbrook香蕉视频直播檚.

But the number of complaints is increasing. In 2016 there were 29 requests, in 2015 there was six requests and in 2014 there were three, he said.

香蕉视频直播淚n the grand scheme of things compared to our service requests, it香蕉视频直播檚 low,香蕉视频直播� said Stewart.

The requests are also in certain locations in the city, mainly in the Mission, around Knox mountain and in other small pockets across town.

香蕉视频直播淲e really need to look at what the petition says and do some research,香蕉视频直播� said Stewart. 香蕉视频直播淲e have been trying to talk to the communities that have been dealing with something similar, but these other communities have had a lot more complaints and issues than we香蕉视频直播檝e had.香蕉视频直播�

He suggested another option; providing education to the public.

香蕉视频直播淎 cull doesn香蕉视频直播檛 get rid of the problem, which is the reason why the deer came here to begin with. It香蕉视频直播檚 an area where deer lived before houses were built and it香蕉视频直播檚 an area where they will still come back to in the future,香蕉视频直播� said Stewart.

香蕉视频直播淭here香蕉视频直播檚 a lot of education that needs to happen with the public about planting and vegetation and there香蕉视频直播檚 a lot of things that need to change in order for this to be a long-term solution.香蕉视频直播�