NAGANO, Japan – A large herd of deer was spotted this summer in the Southern Alps on the border of Ina and Oshika in Nagano Prefecture, central Japan, with officials voicing concern about damage to vegetation.
The deer are believed to be expanding their habitat into higher elevations against a backdrop of the effects of global warming. Damage has been confirmed, with alpine plants eaten or trampled.
“With so many deer, we are worried about the impact on the ecosystem,” an Oshika official in charge of agriculture and forestry promotion said. “They could also move into neighboring Shizuoka and Yamanashi prefectures.”
In August, Toho Air Service Co., based in Tokyo, filmed a dense herd of deer from a helicopter on a sparsely wooded mountainside at an elevation of about 1,900 meters. The footage attracted attention after the company posted it on social media.
Eiji Iguchi, head of a division responsible for Ina’s forest promotion, said, “We are taking measures together with Oshika, the Environment Ministry, the Forestry Agency and local hunting associations.”
“We have set traps to prevent alpine plants from being eaten, but the situation remains very difficult,” Iguchi added.