Deer population in Nara Park hits record high amid rising visitor injuries

TOKYO – A deer preservation group in western Japan said on Sept 3 that the deer population in Nara Park, a tourist site, has been increasing for four consecutive years, reaching a record-high 1,465.

Injuries caused by the deer have also increased at the park, where visitors are allowed to feed the animals digestive and sugar-free crackers sold in nearby shops, according to the Nara prefectural government, which has begun warning tourists in multiple languages.

In a visual survey conducted by the Nara Deer Preservation Foundation in July, employing the same method used since 1953, staff counted the deer in the park, excluding restricted areas.

The group counted 315 adult males, 816 does and 334 fawns, with the total exceeding the previous year by 140 and the previous record of 1,388 in 2019.

It said the deer population decreased in 2020 and 2021, during the Covid-19 pandemic.

The group cited the high number of fawns as the reason for the record-high population in 2025.

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 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 organisations 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 Mr Shu Ishikawa from the preservation group, adding that he hopes visitors keep in mind that they are entering the habitat of the deer when they visit the park. KYODO NEWS