Deer Died From ‘Starvation’ And Vets Find Nine Pounds Of Plastic In Her Stomach

Nov 11, 2019 by apost team

A female deer passed away in Japan’s notable Nara Park on May 24th at the age of seventeen, but it wasn’t the age of the deer that has everyone shocked.

This isn’t an abnormal age for a deer to die, but when the veterinarians performed an autopsy, they were shocked and heartbroken.

But what exactly did these vets find that left them so disheartened? 9 pounds of plastic inside of the stomach of the deer. You may be asking where this plastic came from. However, Nara Park, located east of Osaka, is a place that many tourists from around the world come to visit. In fact, up to two million visitors come to the area every single year to see the amazing deer that live there, according to Sora News.

Because of the Shinto religion, many people find these deer to be sacred, making the death of this particular deer even more heartbreaking to locals that know the history of the park. However, with so many tourists coming to the area, it is hard to control the circumstances that led to this deer’s death. Although they come to admire the beautiful deer, they are also killing them at the same time.

apost.com

The area is littered and polluted, becoming a health hazard for the animals. Not only this, but many tourists tend to overfeed these deer which can result in biting and aggression. But most importantly is that plastic has become an issue too overwhelming to control.

When the deer consume too much plastic left behind by guests of the park, they no longer have room for actual food in their stomachs and become starving, weak, and malnourished. Unable to digest the food that keeps their bodies alive and working, this leads to the death of the deer.

Authorities from the area are now begging tourists to avoid carrying snacks in the area and stop overfeeding the deer. These deer should only be fed deer crackers that can be purchased in the park. But when tourists decide to neglect the rules and feed deer from plastic bags, issues can occur. Once the deer smells the food, it will often consume the entire bag, plastic and all. The park is now urging people on their website to be extra cautious when visiting the park to ensure the safety of the deer.

"Please be especially careful not to leaving behind plastic bags or other trash, as they may endanger the lives of deer upon accidental ingestion." They wrote. "To prevent this, trash cans are located throughout Nara Park. Please dispose of your trash properly in the bins, or carry it home with you."

Using an eco-friendly bag can also help reduce the problem. Please help spread the word about plastic waste and the safety of animals before more horrifying circumstances cause animals to die unnecessarily. What do you think about this story?