Seven tonnes of deer carcasses incinerated since closure of Phoenix Park burial pit
Exclusive: The OPW has been incinerating the remains of dead deer since it stopped dumping them in a mass grave in the wake of an Irish Mirror investigation earlier this year
Seven tonnes of deer carcasses from the Phoenix Park have been incinerated this year following a decision to stop burying dead animals in a mass grave located on the 707-hectare estate.
The shocking statistic is an indicator of the volume of deer that was being dumped in a burial pit in the Phoenix Park before the practice was stopped last February following an investigation by the Irish Mirror.
The burial site is located at Whitefields, just across the road from a large residential area. Reports of its existence sparked concerns that contaminants from decomposing carcasses could be entering the groundwater.
READ MORE: Hundreds of deer buried in mass grave in Phoenix Park
READ MORE: Mass grave for wild deer in Phoenix Park shut down amid contamination concerns
While the carcasses of deer shot in the Phoenix Park during scheduled culls are sold to a meat company, the remains of animals that die as a result of natural causes, accidents, or are “humanely dispatched” had previously been buried at Whitefields.
Since the closure of the mass grave, the Office of Public Works (OPW) has had to hire a carcase collection company to remove dead deer from the park and bring them away to be incinerated.
Five consignments of carcasses have been picked up by a haulier from the Phoenix Park to date this year, weighing a total of seven tonnes, according to records seen by the Irish Mirror.
The carcasses are classed as “category-1” material, which is required to be incinerated and includes body parts that may carry disease or have absorbed substances that are dangerous to the environment.
Among the carcasses included in the five consignments were that of a deer found dead in the grounds of the cricket club in the Phoenix Park on April 8, and a fawn that was found dead in some grasslands.
On June 17, OPW records show that a newborn deer was found dead behind Rose Cottage in the park. This was collected and put “in green bin in outer yard”, according to a hand-written entry.
A spokesman for the OPW said it had been decided to cease burying deer at Whitefields at the end of February. The cost of transporting “animal byproducts” since then had been €172.71.
He said the OPW was not aware of any investigation by a statutory body into the environmental impact of the burial site. “Furthermore, there is no evidence that there has been an environmental impact, nor have we received any correspondence from Irish Water,” he added.
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