The prefectural government said injuries to visitors interacting with the deer have been on the rise since fiscal 2021, with 159 cases in fiscal 2024, of which 111 involved foreign tourists. It said excessive touching of the deer while taking photos and teasing them by withholding crackers have been linked to the injuries.
The prefectural government and related organizations have been distributing pamphlets in Japanese, English and Chinese requesting that tourists at Nara Park not touch the deer or provoke the animals, ahead of the mating season in late August.
"The deer in Nara Park are gentle and accustomed to humans, so it's easy to forget that they are wild animals," said Shu Ishikawa from the preservation group, adding he hopes visitors keep in mind that they are entering the habitat of the deer when they visit the park.
by MagazineKey4532