More people, more deer says Nara animal welfare organization.

The biggest attraction in the city of Nara is Nara Park, and the star attraction of Nara Park is the deer. Due to their association with Kasuga-taisha, a Shinto shrine located inside the park, the deer are allowed to roam free and mingle with human visitors, and even those not deeply aware of their cultural significance can instantly recognize that they’re really cute.

But just how many deer are there in Nara Park? That’s a question the Nara Deer Preservation Foundation asks annually. This month the animal welfare organization carried out its deer population survey, with 73 of its members walking Nara Park in July 15 and 16 to perform a head count. Over the two days, the team visually confirmed 1,325 deer, 92 more than they spotted in 2023. In terms of deer demographic distribution, the foundation counted 313 stags, 798 does, and 214 fawns, all of which were up from last year (by respective margins of 27, 28, and 37).

This marks the third year in a row for an increase in Nara Park’s deer population, but not necessarily because of breeding amongst the bushes. Instead, the Nara Deer Preservation Foundation is attributing the increase in the park’s deer to an increase in the park’s tourists, saying “With the pandemic over, sightseers have returned to the park, and there is an increase in the number of deer coming to the park to get deer crackers from tourists.”

▼ Deer crackers, called shika senbei in Japanese, are sold by vendors inside the park for visitors to feed to the animals as snacks.

The Nara Deer Preservation Foundation also announced that there are 268 deer living within the organization’s fenced facility where deer which have caused agricultural or other kinds of damage are sent as an alternative to culling. This is the fourth consecutive annual decrease, which the foundation says is a result of fewer destructive deer being caught.

Source: Mainichi News via Livedoor News via Jin
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