SANTA CLAUS received a timely warning from the Irish Deer Society this week of potential dangers when delivering gifts to the children of Dublin and Wicklow tonight.
According to the society, the first line of the song, "You better watch out" in Santa Claus is Coming to Town has taken on a whole new meaning.
That is because the National Parks and Wildlife Service and landowners are now using "lamping" techniques to control deer numbers. "Lamping" involves the use of a strong light which illuminates the deer at night and makes them vulnerable to being shot. The deers are transfixed by the light and are easily shot, the society warns.
According to Liam McGarry, the deer society's vice-president, "lamping" has led to an upsurge in poaching in the Wicklow and Dublin mountains in recent months.
"This system is widely used by poachers over the years but we are horrified that it is now being used by the National Parks and Wildlife Service to cull deer," said Mr McGarry.
"Now, because of amendments to the [1976 Wildlife] Act in 2000, it has become very easy to get what is known as a section 42, which allows landowners to control deer in this way if they are causing damage or become a nuisance.
"But what is even more upsetting is we now learn the wildlife service is lamping deer as well as part of its management strategy."
Mr McGarry said the Irish Deer Society and most deer hunters believed deer should be stalked and hunted in the traditional way, not by lamping at night.
"In years gone by when you saw lights at night on the mountains or in forestry, you knew it could only be poachers. Now it could be the wildlife service and the poachers know this too," he said.
"I suppose it would be fair to advise Santa Claus and his reindeer to fly as high as possible when he is making his deliveries this Christmas to Wicklow and Dublin."
A Department of the Environment spokesman confirmed its officers used lamping in its deer management programme as did its counterparts in the UK.
The spokesman said lamping was a widely accepted practice.