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Deer population in Nara's famous park reaches record high

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In the year to late June, 179 deer died in the park, down nine from the previous year, with sickness causing 87 deaths and incidents with vehicles 34.

So how did the rest die? Were they culled? The numbers dont add up here!

3 ( +5 / -2 )

Tame deer just seems wrong. Too many deer is unhealthy for the park ecosystem.

7 ( +8 / -1 )

Nearly 1400 deer in that one park/town does not seem natural or healthy.

7 ( +9 / -2 )

Nearly 1400 deer in that one park/town does not seem natural or healthy.

These deer actually have better health and longer life than wild ones.

-2 ( +5 / -7 )

Do they sell deer whistles for cars in Nara? If not, business opportunity.

0 ( +2 / -2 )

kwatt - These deer actually have better health and longer life than wild ones.

Are you sure about this? Do you have data to prove this? The mortality rate is around 8% per annum. Do you have comparative data on wild deer? The longevity data is unavailable.

-3 ( +2 / -5 )

These deer actually have better health and longer life than wild ones

Are you sure about this? Do you have data to prove this?

The life span of a white-tailed deer can be from 6-14 years in captivity. In the wild, the majority of deer don’t make it to that age because of disease, hunting and automobile collisions. The average life span for wild white-tailed deer is 4.5 years (Lopez et al 2003). Males have an average life span of 2.9 years and females have an average life span of 6.5 years (Lopez et al 2003)

https://www.uwsp.edu/wildlife/Ungulates/Pages/White-tailed%20Deer/White-tailed-Deer-Life-History.aspx

0 ( +1 / -1 )

"Are you sure about this?"

They got fed nice rice crackers; they look happy to me.

0 ( +0 / -0 )

I'd say the deer are a little under or badly nourished. Deer have quite a broad diet in the wild and the park deer get precious little grass. Compared with commercial deer feed, those senbei crackers can't be enough.

Are they fed otherwise, or just kept hungry to act as a tourist pull?

I'd be tempted to sneak in some deer pellet food and break the cracker monopoly. What do they eat in nature?

-1 ( +0 / -1 )

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