<div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>Dashcam footage of a deer narrowly missing cars as it darted across a busy </span><a href="https://www.9news.com.au/australian-capital-territory" rel="" target="_blank" title="Canberra"><span>Canberra</span></a><span> highway has laid bare an environmental "public safety crisis".</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>Driver Chris Per captured the deer's death-defying sprint while travelling down Ginnindara Drive in the nation's capital yesterday and managed to avoid hitting the animal.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>Feral deer are found in every Australian state and territory and the Invasive Species Council has warned the exploding population could pose a huge danger to residents.</span></div></div><div><div id="adspot-mobile-medium"></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><strong><span>READ MORE:</span></strong><span> </span><a href="https://www.9news.com.au/national/morwell-daily-cafe-and-foodstore-became-inundated-with-customers-during-erin-patterson-mushroom-murder-trial/9a23fea9-0b73-49c1-aba4-b4d4f4babf7f" rel="" target="_blank" title="'Wild': Why murder trial was good business for Morwell cafe"><strong><span>'Wild': Why murder trial was good business for Morwell cafe</span></strong></a></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>Chief executive Jack Gough has called on the NSW government to take action to cull the wild deer population before there is a major accident.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>"The ACT government has been really proactive in managing feral deer, particularly with undertaking thermal-assisted aerial culls, but the pressure of the growing population means that increasingly they are getting into urban areas," Gough said.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>"Feral deer are trashing, trampling and polluting our forests and rivers and are an increasing threat to motorists and agriculture.</span></div></div><div><div class="OUTBRAIN" data-reactroot="" data-src="//www.9news.com.au/national/feral-deer-population-australian-capital-territory-dashcam-footage-lays-bare-problem/1e1731a9-e80f-445d-b4ff-8ab79c9aeb9c" data-widget-id="AR_5"></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>"We need ongoing, scaled-up, professional control efforts to protect Canberra and our other capital cities."</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>Gough said the growing Canberra deer population required "ongoing control programs" but claimed the animals are crossing the border from NSW into the Australian Capital Territory.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>Deer can do critical damage to cars in the same way large kangaroos can, he added.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><strong><span>READ MORE:</span></strong><span> </span><a href="https://www.9news.com.au/national/strong-winds-top-100km-hr-in-four-states-major-cold-front/1ff69780-ea69-4091-bae5-10f7a76ff5a2" target="_blank"><strong><span>Four states buffeted by winds over 100km/hr amid polar blast</span></strong></a></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>"Unfortunately, even if the numbers get down to zero, they will keep crossing the border because NSW is doing such a poor job of managing feral deer," Gough said.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>"People know how much damage 40-60kg kangaroos can cause to their car but don't always realise just how big and heavy a deer can be.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>"Sambar deer, for example, can be 250-300kg."</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><strong><span>READ MORE:</span></strong><span> </span><a href="https://www.9news.com.au/national/mushroom-cook-murder-convictions-appealproof-expert/d94b8ef9-677c-40dd-9f06-258dbe83232d" target="_blank"><strong><span>Mushroom cook murder convictions 'appeal-proof': expert</span></strong></a></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>According to the Invasive Species Council, the level of feral deer in Australia has doubled since 2002, reaching an estimated 2 million in 2022.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>The council said uncontrolled feral deer populations can grow by up to 50 per cent every year.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><a href="https://www.9news.com.au/" rel="" target="" title="9news.com.au"><span>9news.com.au</span></a><span> has contacted the NSW Department of Climate Change, Energy, the Environment and Water for comment.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><a href="https://www.9news.com.au/national/how-to-follow-9news-digital/29855bb1-ad3d-4c38-bc25-3cb52af1216f" target="_blank"><strong><em><span>DOWNLOAD THE 9NEWS APP</span></em></strong></a><strong><em><span>: Stay across all the latest in breaking news, sport, politics and the weather via our news app and get notifications sent straight to your smartphone. Available on the</span></em></strong><span> </span><a href="https://apps.apple.com/au/app/9news/id1010533727" target="_blank"><strong><em><span>Apple App Store</span></em></strong></a><span> </span><strong><em><span>and</span></em></strong><span> </span><a href="https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=nineNewsAlerts.nine.com&amp;hl=en_AU&amp;pli=1" target="_blank"><strong><em><span>Google Play</span></em></strong></a><strong><em><span>.</span></em></strong></div></div>