奈良の住宅街にシカ大量出没　頭数が過去最多、エサ不足で奈良公園の外へ…接触事故や農作物被害も懸念

A large number of deer have been appearing in a residential area of ​​Nara City, affecting the lives of residents. We will report live from the scene. (Report by Yuriko Okuda) Deer are eating grass and walking around the property right behind me. They stayed on the property of a private house for about 15 minutes until just now, when they crossed the road and walked towards the property behind me. This area is a residential area about 2 kilometers south of Nara Park. It's a quiet residential area with many houses and apartments nearby. People walking around the area don't seem particularly surprised to see the deer, but recently, both the number and frequency of their appearances have increased. Looking at the deer behind me, it appears to be a female because it doesn't have antlers. It's been about 15 minutes since I arrived, and the deer are still walking on the road and eating grass. There's also a school route nearby used by elementary school children. ■Moving from Nara Park (Shinobu Nakatani, newscaster) The deer sightings we've been aware of at ten. are in these locations. It's about 2 kilometers west of Nara Park, near JR Nara Station. It's right in the city center, but they've been seen moving in herds, and their numbers have been increasing recently. Here's the reason: ■Second and Third Generations With the increase in inbound tourism, and excessive feeding, the deer population has reached a record high, reaching 1465 last year. When the population increases, the grass in Nara Park becomes a food source, but because there isn't enough food, the females take their offspring outside of Nara Park. Males have a habit of acting separately from the group, so these males and females meet, establish bases outside the park, and breed. It's believed that this is why the population is increasing. This results in the birth of so-called second and third-generation deer, but there are reports that deer outside the park have a more aggressive temperament. This applies to wild deer outside Nara Park. ■ How to deal with it They are a national natural monument. Basically, for deer outside Nara Park, prefectural and conservation society staff take measures to drive them back into Nara Park. They chase after the herds and bring them back, but recently there has been an increase in reports, and they are appearing in places they haven't been before, and even after being chased back multiple times, they keep leaving Nara Park. ■ Expanding habitat and impacts What are the concerns if deer overflow into residential areas? Here they are. Contact accidents have actually occurred. In April of this year, there was an accident near Shin-Omiya Station on the Kintetsu Nara Line where an express train collided with a deer. There has been damage to crops, with some being eaten before harvest, and home gardens have also been affected. Furthermore, there are concerns about infectious diseases; fleas and ticks carried by these deer could spread outside of Nara Park. Therefore, regarding crop damage, measures are being taken to limit the number of deer and then cull them if necessary. Ms. Yokosuka, finding the right balance is difficult, isn't it? (Commentator Yuki Yokosuka) It is difficult. Of course, deer are sacred in Nara, but other prefectures are also struggling with deer issues. Osaka Prefecture has seen an increase in their population, and in Shiga Prefecture, excessive grazing led to mudslides and disasters. Therefore, I think it's necessary to implement more precise population management, even though it will be costly. On top of that, protective measures and other countermeasures need to be implemented, and this isn't just a problem for Nara Prefecture; it needs to be done in cooperation with other prefectures. (Shinobu Nakatani, newscaster) Here's what you should keep in mind if you encounter a deer: If you encounter a deer, "don't approach it," "don't feed it," and "don't shout." Let's try to find a way to coexist with them while gently observing them. ▼Featured videos, in-depth explanations, and the latest news delivered daily Subscribe here:    / @ytv_news   ▼Yomiuri TV News https://www.ytv.co.jp/press/ ▼Kansai Information Net ten. X (Former Twitter)   / ytvnewsten   Website: https://www.ytv.co.jp/ten/ Instagram:   / ytv.ten   Facebook:   / ytvten   ▼Information Live Miyaneya https://www.ytv.co.jp/miyaneya/ ▼News Zigzag X (Former Twitter) https://x.com/ytvzigzag Website: https://www.ytv.co.jp/zigzag/ ▼Teppan Asa Live Juutto! Website: https://www.ytv.co.jp/juutto/ X (former Twitter): @ytv_juutto https://x.com/ytv_juutto LINE: https://lin.ee/hWfyWs2 Instagram: @ytv_juutto   / ytv_juutto   TikTok:   / ytv_juutto   ▼Yomiuri Television News Department's Social Media TikTok:   / ytvnews   X (former Twitter):   / news_ytv   ▼...