Jul 30 (Japan Today) - The deer population in Nara Park, a popular western Japan tourist attraction, has increased for the third straight year to a record 1,388 animals, a local organization said Monday, the highest number since record-keeping began in the 1950s.
The Nara Deer Preservation Foundation said the latest annual survey conducted earlier this month confirmed there are 28 more deer than last year. The group attributed the increase to there being 275 fawns born, 37 more than observed in the previous count.
In addition to the fawns, the total population consists of 357 bucks and 756 does.
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.
Of the 87, three died after swallowing plastic bags or other items.
The deer population study has been conducted every July since the 1950s after the does give birth. Researchers form one line and walk across the park from west to east in order to count the deer.
