Mossburn, New Zealand: Deer Statue

In our trip, we flew from the crowded confines of Sydney to the southern part of New Zealand. As we drove to our destination for the night, we made a comfort stop along the way. Nearby, I noticed a statue of a deer. My reaction was "huh?" Time for investigative work. 

It turns out that Mossburn is in the center of the deer industry in New Zealand. The animal was introduced to the country's farmers in 1972, and became a major product for the country. So ... up went that statue. By the way, the antlers are said to be real. 

The deer-raising business isn't as good as it used to be. That particular animal has a boom-or-bust economic tendency, and times haven't been great lately. Some farms switched to dairy products. The Covid-19 pandemic didn't help either. Most importantly, a venison processing plant in Mossburn closed, which was a gut punch to the economy of the town. After my brief visit, I can see why. 

But the statue remains.