POSTED: 01:30 a.m. HST, May 27, 2012 Deer can swim, but not very
far. When they showed up for the first time on Hawaii island,
mystified residents wondered how they got there. The island is
some 30 miles southeast of Maui, where deer are plentiful.
Hawaii wildlife authorities think someone dropped a few from a
helicopter on the northern tip of the island. And tracks along
the southern coast indicate deer were pushed into the ocean from
a boat and forced to paddle ashore. Wildlife managers want to
eradicate them to avoid a repeat of the destruction seen on
other islands, where they have eaten through vineyards, avocado
farms and forests where endangered species live. Officials
estimate there are 100 deer on the northern and southern ends of
Hawaii island. A government-funded group is leading efforts to
get rid of them before they breed. "They didn't get here by
themselves, so the people who brought them over did so and have
done it many times," said Jan Schipper, the group's project
manager. People have report