Autumn Deer-Caused Injuries on Rise at Japan's Nara Park

Nara, Nov. 14 (Jiji Press)--Incidents of tourists injured by male deer antlers at Japan's Nara Park, a popular spot known for its free-roaming deer, have spiked recently, prompting authorities to urge caution.

The number of victims at the park in the western city of Nara, the capital of the namesake prefecture, stood at 35 in September, up from five a year before. Male deer tend to get especially aggressive during the autumn mating season, and a fatal incident occurred last month in neighboring Kyoto Prefecture.

According to the Nara prefectural government, many injuries occur when tourists touch deer after giving them so-called deer crackers, a popular product sold within the park.

Ten people were sent to hospital in September, including one who suffered bleeding from a stab several centimeters deep in the thigh.

In the city of Fukuchiyama, Kyoto, in early October, a 68-year-old man was found dead on a rice field bleeding from the chest. Local police believe he was stabbed with the antler of a wild male deer.

[Copyright The Jiji Press, Ltd.]