Court clears cull of 2,000 Catalina deer to protect native flora from fire risk

A judge ruled the Catalina Island Conservancy may proceed with killing nearly all of the island's 2,000 mule deer, which overbrowse native shrubs and promote fast-igniting grasses, raising wildfire risk. The decision follows years of opposition from animal-rights groups and locals. The cull marks a significant escalation in managed ecosystem intervention, with implications for wildfire mitigation and wildlife policy.