SAPPORO - A record number of accidents and severe agricultural damage in northern Japan are the result of a flourishing deer population.
Police are warning residents that deer, which inhabit all of Hokkaido, can potentially jump onto nearby roads and sidewalks.
Two years ago, a herd of deer ventured onto Shinkansen tracks, causing train operations to be suspended for about 7 hours. The number of deer-vehicle accidents has also reached a record high of 4,480 cases.
Agricultural damage is severe. Deer are selective when grazing on cattle pastures, eating only the delicious parts, leaving the cows with food low in nutrients and rich in fiber.
Deer that ravage pastures and crops are considered pests, causing about 150 million yen in damage annually, according to a veteran hunter in Akkeshi-cho, Hokkaido.
While deer hunters are strengthening extermination efforts, new utilization methods are also emerging. The Kushiro City Zoo started using deer meat for feeding tigers and lions. The Amur tiger is a natural predator of deer in the wild, and they especially like deer meat, according to a Kushiro City Zoo specialist.
Not only meat but also deer leather is becoming popular. Deer leather, often referred to as "Kashmir of leather," has gained significant attention from the fashion industry in recent years.
