Coexistence with Deer in Nara Park

Nara Park is a huge park  covering an area of about 502 hectare without any gates and any fences.  When Todai-ji, Kofuku-ji, and Kasuga Shrine, which are on the edges of the Park, are included, the area is about 660 hectare.  It is a natural woodland of fine turf and various kinds of trees.   About 1100 deer roam around the park freely as it is called "Deer Park".

Deer in Nara Park are designated as Natural Monuments for their unique habitat that they have lived so long so closely together with humans in spite of being wild animals.

at the top of Mt. Mikasa (taken by cell phone camera)

What if all the deer disappeared?    We will not only miss them a lot but also lose one of the main attractions of Nara.

We will also lose powerful “natural mowers”.   Deer not only graze but also keep the whole grass of Nara Park clean and healthy.   They eat grass, drop droplets on the grass, insects break down them, beneficial bacteria remain to enrich the soil, new grass grow on the fertile soil.   Hope this cycle will continue forever .... not being destroyed by humans.

Deer in Nara Park are wildlife: no one owns the deer.  They are protected and cared for by the Deer Protection Organization (鹿愛顧会) when necessary.   When deer and humans live closely together, problems stem from.  Giving scares to people by their antlers or entering  gardens to eat bulbs or flowers, or damaging trees is a few of them.  There are damages on deer side, too. Of  course it’s humans who are responsible for coexistence.

Male deer rub or scrape their antlers against the tree.  To protect trees from this, trees are wrapped by the plastic nets to some height.

Japanese Andromeda bloom long in spring. Japanese name “asebi”  is written 馬酔木, which literally means 馬(horse) 酔(get tipsy) 木(tree).  In contrast to its lovely flowers,  the leaves are poisonous, and livestock have avoided from eating them.   Maybe planting "asebi" in the gardens or around the property could be one of the ways to keep deer out of the territory without damaging them.

To keep them healthy and alive, people are expected to give deer crackers sold at vendors for 150 yen.  Don’t give anything salty, spicy, sweet, greasy, or anything wrapped in plastic.  Sometimes plastics are found in the stomach of the dead deer.  To avoid this, there are almost no trash boxes in Nara Park and tourists are expected to bring back their trash.

Don't give them foods when you find them in the town. When they learn no foods in the town, they get back to the Park.



Drivers must drive carefully on the roads which cut through their habitat.

Stags grow new antlers in spring and they have grown hard by autumn and can be dangerous.  Deer’s antlers are cut by the Shinto priest at the Deer Antler Cutting Ceremony usually held on the second weekend of October.  While I like to see manly stags with fine antlers, I feel it can't be helped for coexistence in Nara Park where many tourists visit and local people live.

late November

In autumn, deer cry for mating.  When autumn deepens, I always remember this tanka poem.

奥山に紅葉ふみわけ鳴く鹿の　声きくときぞ秋はかなしき　　
　　　

猿丸太夫 (7-8th century)

Deep in the mountain

Treading through the crimson leaves,

The wandering stag calls

When I hear the lonely cry

Sad – how sad!- the autumn is

I understand that sentiment, however, you wouldn't feel sad or lonely at Nara Park.  You'd rather enjoy your time of solitude watching deer.   She has gentle eyes, so do all the deer.

The view from Mt. Wakakusa/Mikasa, Nara.  Beyond the  Mt. Ikoma (642.3m)  is Osaka

Legend has said that when the Fujiwara Clan built their family shrine, Kasuga Shrine, in 8th century, they invited a powerful God from the eastern country to add its value.  The God appeared on the back of a White Deer.  People welcomed the Deer with bows and soon the deer around the shrine started to bow as they do so to visitors now when asking for foods. 

Learn more about deer in Nara Park on the website of Foundation for the Protection of Deer in Nara Park,  here .  Sorry, only in Japanese.

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