Duchas, the national parks and wildlife service, is preparing to cull and quarantine wildlife in the vicinity of any outbreaks of foot-and-mouth disease.
An emergency containment plan drawn up in the past five days will assess the wildlife in the vicinity, and "appropriate action" will be taken immediately, a spokesman said.
That action is understood to involve the use of teams of sharpshooters. Some of them, park rangers, are already in place.
Quarantining of species is also envisaged, with plans and personnel on standby to carry out fencing. The containment action will be helped by the fact that there is already a detailed map of species such as the badger in the vicinity of farmland, following studies of the relationship between TB and badgers.
Duchas says it is confident it has enough personnel to carry out the work. Major carriers of the disease, some of which are themselves susceptible - deer, badgers, foxes and feral goats - will be killed by sharpshooters should an outbreak occur, in what a source admits will be "a highly sensitive action".
Last Saturday large red signs were placed around Killarney National Park, where entrances were taped off. There is much concern in Killarney about the fate of the native red deer, with warnings that "12,000 years of history would disappear" should foot-and-mouth disease reach the 700-strong herd.
A nucleus of native red deer, owned by Duchas, exists on Inishvickillane, the island owned by the former Taoiseach, Mr Charles J. Haughey.
The Killeen golf course, which was closed on Friday, is a favourite grazing ground for the deer. Two other courses at Killarney remain open.
There is also concern about the fate of the Sika Japanese deer introduced in the mid-19th century and now numbering 600. Another major species at risk in Killarney is the native Kerry cow. Of the two herds, one is owned by Duchas and the other is in private ownership.
Duchas praised the public for co-operation in staying away from the hills and walkways. However it warned against complacency.
