Tourist Assaults Deer at Il Nara Park
Suspected to Be of a Specific Nationality
A story has come to light about a man who kicked a deer living in Nara Park, located in Nara Prefecture, Japan, and also slapped the deer's face with his hand, causing public outrage.
On the 24th (local time), Japanese media such as Fuji TV reported that on the 21st, a video was uploaded to YouTube showing a man, appearing to be a tourist, kicking a deer violently in Nara Park, Nara City, Nara Prefecture, Japan. This video has since been removed for violating YouTube policies due to containing 'violent scenes.'
In the widely circulated footage, among tourists watching the deer, a man wearing a white top suddenly approaches a deer and kicks its body. The assaulted deer is startled and tries to escape, but the man persistently chases and kicks the deer's side. The man also slapped the deer's cheek with his hand as it tried to flee in pain.
The video quickly spread through social networking services (SNS). Netizens who saw the footage responded with comments such as "Animal abuse is a crime," "You can feel the deer's pain," and "People who abuse animals have evil hearts." The man in question is presumed to be a tourist of a certain nationality, but this has not yet been confirmed.
The Nara Prefecture park department stated, "We were shocked by the inappropriate behavior of the tourist," and added, "We will strengthen patrols inside the park in cooperation with the police." The Nara Prefecture police have deployed 'DJ Police,' officers who use microphones on-site to guide and maintain order. The police also announced that warnings not to harm the deer are being issued in three languages, including English and Chinese.
Meanwhile, the deer in Nara Park are designated as a natural monument by the government, and causing harm such as killing them can result in a maximum prison sentence of five years.
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