A dead deer that was dumped in a culvert on the roadside at Breaghy Forest, Ramelton over a month has angered the local community amid claims that it has created a health hazard.
A member of the community said the failure of the authorities in not removing the rotting carcass was a disgrace amid claims that the incident was reported twice to the Council.
The source said the issue needed to be highlighted in the media to force the authorities into acion. He pointed to the potential hazards involved from the saying the location was close to a substantial number of family homes.
The source said he contacted Council services four weeks ago on Tuesday and again on Tuesday of last week when he saw no action being taken to remove the dead animal.
While rats, dogs and foxes have eaten away the flesh of the carcass; the bone structure remains intact but beginning to rot. On Tuesday afternoon the bones remained at the scene with a large piece of black farm plastic covering the carcass.
The man who directed us to this remote location asked not to be identified and said the community is very angry that nothing had been done to deal with the problem. The man said he reported the issue to the relevant authorities and expected immediate action.
The location is on the perimeter of Breaghy Wood and it is 1.2 miles from the Moorefield Road at Cashelshanaghan. The location is well off the beaten track on a narrow roadway and is about three miles from Ramelton. Nearby are the townlands of Meenatoal and Booragh with a number of families in residence.
Cllr. Ian McGarvey said there are different reports about how the deer died. He said one suggestion is that it was shot while another report says it was struck by a vehicle and was left to die in the middle of the road.
Cllr. McGarvey said he was shocked that after more than a month no action had been taken to have it removed.
He said he contacted the Council’s office in Letterkenny on Tuesday and was told they were not aware of the matter being reported to them.
However the complainant who raised the matter with this paper stands over his claims of having spoken to an official whom he identified. However, said Cllr. McGarvey it is not clear who handled the complaints or where the calls were referred.
Ian McGarvey said he had no reason whatever to doubt the man’s story and he was seeking to clarify why the complaint seem to fall through the net.
He confirmed that workers from the Council’s environmental section have now taken appropriate action.
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