*Face palms* sadly this is not one of KARRYON’s ‘fake news’ comedy stories, but rather a real story on the lack of general knowledge among humans on wild animals.
‘Don’t tease wild animals, they MAY bite’ – that’s something most of us learn in our developing years, but it seems as though a few people missed the memo because they’re busy teasing and angering gorgeous wildlife in Japan’s Nara Park.
Nara Prefectural Government has been forced to issue ‘feeding tips’ around its popular park after finding an increase over the last year in the number of tourists injured while trying to feed deer from 118 to 164, The Japan Times reported.
Image: VisitNara.jp
The government believes the rise in injuries, which for the most part are light bites on the hand, can be attributed to the increase in visitors and their carelessness when feeding the seemingly harmless creatures.
Spokesperson, Yuichiro Kitabata, said tourists are teasing the deer by luring them in with snacks and then hiding the food so they can take a picture. This behaviour frustrates the animal, which leads to a wild reaction.
Image: Manuel Cosentino/Unsplash
“The deer basically won’t attack people unless we do something to them.”
Yuichiro Kitabata, Nara Prefectural Government Official
“They are used to people. So, it’s OK for tourists to feed them [deer feed] in a normal way… but please keep in mind that they are wild animals.”
Hoping to prevent future injuries, the government has posted some 40 signs in various languages emphasising acceptable and unacceptable feeding techniques. Among the tips is ensuring both hands are visible to animal and that small children are accompanied by adults.
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