WAILUKU >> Maui County is contending with invasive axis deer that have been reported munching on crops, chewing on pineapples in fields, eating grapes off vines, appearing in hotel lobbies and running around on golf courses.

A county survey shows axis deer are to blame for at least $1 million in damage to farms, ranches and resorts in the last two years, the Maui News reported today. But the actual damage is likely greater because not all of the farmers and ranchers contacted for information responded to surveys, said Kenneth Yamamura, agricultural specialist in the county Office of Economic Development.

The Maui Axis Deer Working Group is putting together a draft management plan to control the axis deer population. It’s scheduled to be ready by July, at the start of the fiscal year, so that the group can seek funding to combat the growing problem.

“The deer is widespread on Maui,” group member Warren Watanabe told the Hawaii Invasive Species Council. “We’re all being hit.” 

According to the state Department of Land and Natural Resources, there were 4,000 to 5,000 deer on parts of Maui last year and about 3,500 to 4,000 on parts of Lanai. There were no estimates available for Molokai. 

Axis deer have been a problem in the islands for decades, but there are no exact records of the extent of the animal’s damage, Yamamura said. “It’s only a matter of time” before the deer affects everyone, he warned. “That’s the scary part. It will impact every nook and cranny.” 

The animal native to India and Sri Lanka was first introduced to Molokai and Oahu in 1868, Lanai in 1920, and Maui in 1959. They were found on the Big Island last year.