Polaris Is Helping Maui Find Balance With Its Axis Deer

Finding balance in populations is key to good ecosystems. And good ecosystems are ones that can support the life they hold, though we often forget we're, as humans, a part of those ecosystems, too. But when balances shift toward one side or another, the ecosystems suffer. Things are thrown out of whack and lead to consequences that may affect us for generations.

A fact we've witnessed over and over and over again. 

In more recent history, the problem of non-native species has become a focal point for many when talking about the balance of these places. From feral hogs in the American South and Southwest, invasive fish and mollusks in the Midwest, invasive grasses that have spread across the North and Plains, and oh so much more, we've seen the havoc firsthand at what these non-native species can inflict.

One such animal that represents the need to find this balance is the axis deer introduced onto the Hawaiian Islands. Without any predators and with mild climates perfect for year-round breeding, populations surged, and the landscape on the islands has suffered. As have the animals. But the good folks over at Maui Nui Venison, to which RideApart talked with before, have a solution. A solution that benefits the animals continued health, the ecosystem they inhabit, and the people of Hawaii.  

And it seems that Polaris is getting more involved with helping them find that balance. 

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Axis deer is nutrient rich. And it's a stable protein that can supplement the protein the island's populations have to import from the mainland at great cost. But that stability requires management and good harvest practices, as if you tip the scales toward eradication, you lose the meat. If you allow the populations to go unchecked, the deer starve to death, as was witnessed by Maui Nui Venison's founder, Jake Muise. 

Seeing the deer starve firsthand, Muise petitioned the Hawaiian government to allow his company to harvest the deer and maintain a stable population, as he and his team were determined to help find a balance that would benefit everyone within the ecosystem. And so he did, creating not only a business that utilizes a sustainable resources all while helping the local environment, but one that also benefits the Hawaiian people, too, operating multiple Holo 'Ais, a food-sharing cooperative spread across Maui that's supported nearly 1 million meals to date. 

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But the axis deer live in hard-to-reach places. It's gnarly, nasty, volcanic terrain where even the hardest working vehicles get chewed up and spat out. And as Maui Nui Venison operates in those condition all under the cover of darkness, they need something that can stand up to the rigors of the job at hand. They chose Polaris' Ranger UTVs to handle it. And based on the video above, Polaris is getting further involved with Maui Nui Venison's mission, helping that team ensure balance is restored. 

Check out the video above.

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