Recently, Japanese national television station NHK reported that in September alone, there were 43 cases of deer butting tourists' legs with their antlers at Nara Park, Nara City, Japan, an increase of 2.5 times compared to the same period in 2023.
The recent spike in deer goring has scientists and wildlife conservationists worried. In addition to the pregnant deer, there are many other factors that could be contributing to the situation, such as climate change, scarce food sources or increased tourist numbers.
The deer living in Nara Park are wild animals recognized as natural treasures of Japan.
Some experts believe that frequent feeding of inappropriate foods by tourists can also affect the deer’s behavior, causing them to become accustomed to begging and become aggressive when not given food. This not only affects the safety of tourists but also threatens the tourism industry of Nara city, which relies heavily on the image of friendly sacred deer.
From October 10, the Nara Park management board and the Nara Deer Protection Association will issue a "serious" warning and continuously monitor and remind visitors not to approach the deer herd.
Previously, due to the hot weather in Japan, Nara Park decided to install many cooling misting devices, hoping to help visitors cool down. However, all the places where these devices were installed were occupied by herds of "divine deer".
There are about 1,300 deer living in the park. These deer are not domesticated, but visitors can still feed them crackers, a food reserved for this species.
Deer appear in many traditional rituals of the Nara people, especially in the festivals at Kasuga Shrine. It is believed that touching the antlers of deer will bring luck and peace. Images of deer are depicted on many art and architectural artifacts, such as sculptures and paintings, creating a unique feature of Nara culture. Deer have become an indispensable part of the lives of the Nara people. They are raised, protected and considered as family members.
Visitors can visit the newborn deer every June.
People also say that the deer have white fur on their hind legs in Nara Park and they believe that these deer are messengers of the gods, if anyone meets them, luck will come.
According to the Nara Deer Preservation Foundation, as of 2021, Nara Park in Japan has more than 1,000 free-roaming deer. These deer are considered cultural icons and important tourist attractions.
