Man arrested for killing Nara deer
NHK -- Mar 02
Japanese police have arrested a man for fatally wounding a wild deer at a park in Nara City, western Japan.
Herds of wild deer roaming Nara Park are protected after being designated a natural treasure by the government more than 60 years ago.
The arrested man is 23-year-old Yoshii Hayato from Mie Prefecture.
Police say he struck the deer with an axe on February 7. The animal died of resulting injuries.
Before dawn that day, police got a report about a wounded deer that was unable to move. They checked surveillance camera footage and identified Yoshii as the suspect.
Yoshii told investigators he was playing with the deer when it rammed his car. He said he got angry and decided to kill it, hitting it with the axe as hard as he could.
Ashimura Yoshitaka, the secretary general of the Nara Deer Preservation Foundation, called the incident unbelievable. He said Nara deer have been cherished since ancient times as messengers of the gods, and are not afraid of humans. He added that he hopes no such thing ever happens again.
- NHK
今年２月、奈良市の奈良公園で国の天然記念物に指定されているシカを刃物で殴りつけるなどして死なせた疑いで、三重県の２３歳の男が逮捕されました。
文化財保護法違反の疑いで逮捕されたのは三重県松阪市久保町の建設作業員・吉井勇人容疑者（２３）です。警察によりますと、吉井容疑者は２月７日、奈良公園のメスのシカ（推定１１歳）を鋭利な刃物で殴打するなどして死なせた疑いが持たれています。
通行人から「頭を負傷して動けないシカがいる」という通報を受けて、警察が付近の防犯カメラを捜査した結果、吉井容疑者が浮上したということです。
吉井容疑者は調べに対して「シカと遊んでいた時に突然私の車にシカが体当たりしてきたので腹が立ち、殺してやろうと思ってオノで頭を力いっぱい切りつけた」と容疑を認めているということです。 - MBS NEWS
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