Injuries caused by deer in Nara Park reached a record this year, with 51 people taken to hospital by ambulance as of November 5, and more than 70% of them foreign visitors, according to Nara City Hospital.
The figure has climbed steadily. In 2023, 23 people were taken to hospital after deer injuries in the park. In each of the two following years, the number was in the 40s.
The rise is thought to be the result of growing numbers of both tourists and deer. The animals have learned to associate people with food, and follow visitors who buy deer crackers.
“It bit me here. I was holding a cracker.”a tourist, visitor to Nara Park
“They get smart, and they remember the people who bought crackers, so they follow you the whole way.”a tourist, visitor to Nara Park
Nara Park's deer are a protected natural monument and roam free through the grounds. Visitors hand-feed them rice crackers sold by vendors in the park, and the animals approach people directly.
The hospital's count covers injuries serious enough to require an ambulance. Most involve bites and other wounds to visitors who were feeding the deer or holding food near them.