It's getting ever more crowded in the ancient capital of Nara as record numbers of two-legged visitors encounter record numbers of four-legged residents, creating concerns about the health and safety of both groups.
Last month, a survey by the Nara Deer Preservation Foundation, which looks after the deer, showed there were 1,360 in the Nara Park area. It was the largest number recorded since the foundation began counting deer in 1955.
That year, there were only 378 deer in Nara Park. Over the following decades, the population grew rapidly at first and then steadily as various steps were taken by the city to control it after farmers complained their crops were being damaged.
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