Nara Deer Population at Record High as More Tourists Mean More Snack Crackers

Population Rise

A survey found that there were 1,465 deer within Nara Park, up 140 from the previous year. This is the highest number since the current survey method started being used in 1953; the total included 315 stags, 816 hinds, and 334 fawns. The survey was conducted on July 15 and 16 by the Nara Deer Preservation Foundation.

While the number of stags remained almost the same compared to the previous year, the number of fawns increased by more than 100. A representative from the foundation explained that “based on past trends, when more food is available, there are more births. With the increase in foreign tourists leading to more opportunities to eat rice crackers, the deer are gathering in flat areas and it is thought that this is raising the pregnancy rate.”

The staple diet for Nara deer is noshiba (Zoysia grass) and other small plants. The shika senbei, or deer crackers, sold in the park are made from rice bran and wheat flour and are regarded as a snack for deer.

Responding to the increase in foreign tourists, the representative said, “the deer in Nara are not free-roaming. They have lived in Nara Park a long time, staying a reasonable distance away from humans. If people get too close, they can be hurt, so caution is needed.”

Traffic Deaths

In the year since July 2024, there were 140 deer deaths, a year-on-year increase of 10. Of these, 36 died in traffic accidents, a rise of 7 compared to the previous year, and 30 died from disease. The cause in around half the fatalities could not be determined, however, due to the amount of time that had passed after death.

There were 72 traffic accidents involving deer in Nara Park over the past year, up 8 from the year before, with the highest number of accidents (23) occurring on the section of National Route 369 between the Prefectural Office East Intersection and Kintetsu Nara Station.

Data Sources

• The Nara Deer Preservation Foundation

(Translated from Japanese. Banner photo: Deer in Nara Park. © Pixta.)