Numerous plastic bags were found in the stomachs of more than half of the 14 wild deer that have died in Nara Park in Nara Prefecture since March, prompting the local government to take action to protect them.
According to the Nara Deer Preservation Foundation, nine deer have died after swallowing plastic bags. Masses of tangled-up plastic litter and packets of snacks were retrieved from their stomachs, with the heaviest amount weighing 4.3 kilograms.
Their habit of eating plastic bags is likely to be linked to the fact that tourists take food from such bags to feed the deer, according to Rie Maruko, a veterinarian who belongs to the animal conservation group.