The Fiordland Wapiti Foundation (FWF) will visit Wānaka at the end of the month as one of the last stops on its national roadshow.

The fundraising event will include a screening of ‘Beyond the Odds’, about the work of the FWF, a presentation by FWF general manager Roy Sloan, and a raffle.

The wapiti (North American elk) is the largest of the country’s wild deer species and it was originally released in Fiordland in 1905.

FWF have had a long-running agreement with the Department of Conservation to manage the effects of wapiti deer in Fiordland National Park with control work and by supporting conservation projects.

Earlier this year Forest & Bird applied to the High Court for a judicial review of the agreement, saying it doesn’t comply with the National Parks Act.

By May, the three organisations had agreed to pause legal proceedings and begin talks.

“The Department of Conservation, Forest & Bird, and the Fiordland Wapiti Foundation and all three legal teams are currently in talks and we are hoping for some common sense,” Roy said.

The FWF hopes to have the wapiti declared a ‘herd of special interest’.

Roy said the Wānaka event (on September 25) would help to answer the question ‘what does the future look like for the FWF and hunting in NZ?’, as well as raise money for possible legal action.

The event will be held at 6.30pm at the Upper Clutha Rugby Club. Find more information here. 

PHOTO: Supplied