Videos of abuse towards Nara's deer emerged online, prompting police officers to initiate emergency patrols to call for the protection of the deer on July 25, Nara City. (©Sankei by Mizue Torikoshi)
Disturbing videos showing deer being abused near Nara Park have surfaced on social media, receiving widespread condemnation. Nara's deer are recognized as natural monuments of Japan.
The surge in inbound tourists has coincided with an increase in cases of mistreated deer. In response, the Nara Prefectural Police initiated emergency patrols on July 25 to protect the deer and promote respectful behavior.
Nara prefectural "DJ police" were seen using megaphones to make announcements in Japanese, English, and Chinese. "DJ police" refers to police officers who use loudspeakers or megaphones to communicate with large crowds in a friendly manner. One officer said, "Nara's deer are natural monuments of Japan. Legal penalties can be imposed if you harm them."
Working alongside the Nara Deer Preservation Foundation, the police closely monitored the area for any signs of aggression towards the deer. They also distributed educational flyers to raise awareness among tourists.
Kicking and Slapping Deer
One of the online videos shows an individual kicking and slapping a deer on a street near Nara Park. Another video reveals a person straddling a deer. By July 24, the prefectural police had received more than 30 complaints calling for action, including demands to arrest the person kicking the deer.
Harming Nara's deer, which are protected as Japan's natural monuments, is a violation of the Cultural Properties Protection Law. In a notable incident in 2021, a man in his twenties was convicted of fatally injuring a deer by striking its head with an axe-like tool. He claimed he lost his temper after the deer had charged at his car.
Caution: Deer Are Wild Animals
The emergency patrols aim to safeguard the deer and enhance tourist safety. There have been numerous incidents where deer have kicked or bitten tourists who touched them. Prefectural reports indicate that there were 217 deer-related injuries in 2018 and 192 in 2019. There were 105 cases in 2023, around the time the COVID outbreak began to subside. Notably, in all these years, injuries involving inbound tourists have consistently exceeded those involving Japanese nationals.
Nara Prefecture instructs visitors on proper conduct around Nara Park's deer, including:
- Do not tease the deer with shika sembei (deer crackers)
- Do not chase the deer
- Supervise children
However, despite these guidelines, careless treatment of the deer persists.
A woman from South Korea remarked, "I didn't think it was wrong to touch them since everyone else was doing it."
Similarly, a woman from Germany stated, "The deer are very friendly, and I want to touch them more." These comments reveal a lack of awareness of the risks among some tourists.
The Nara Park Office shared, "We need to raise awareness that the deer are wild animals and clearly communicate safety precautions to all visitors, including inbound tourists."
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(Read the article in Japanese.)
Author: Norihiro Akiyama, The Sankei Shimbun
