Mount Ibuki, a 1,377-meter-high mountain straddling Shiga and Gifu prefectures that is visited by many climbers, is now on the verge of a crisis — being seriously damaged by wild Japanese sika deer eating its plants.
In July last year, the mountain's slopes collapsed due to heavy rain, leading to the closure of trails.
The alpine flower field at the summit is listed as a national natural monument. The city of Maibara in Shiga Prefecture, which is mainly responsible for maintaining the mountain, calls the situation the “Mount Ibuki shock,” and is working to restore the mountain's ecological balance.