Taiwanese Sika Deer Have Exploded in Japan (Share & Discuss)

🦌 Taiwanese Sika Deer Invade Japan!? Population Surges by Nearly 90,000! When hiking in Taiwan, you might occasionally hear the loud calls of sika deer or, if lucky, encounter them along the mountain trails. But now... this familiar forest dweller has become a troublesome invasive species in Japan! According to Japanese media reports, sika deer that escaped from a tourist facility in Chiba Prefecture, Japan, around the 1980s, went feral, and began to multiply rapidly in the area. The official estimate by Chiba Prefecture puts the population at approximately 94,000 in fiscal year 2024! They not only eat agricultural crops and affect the local ecosystem, but their range is constantly expanding, even crossing the Tone River and moving north into Ibaraki Prefecture. To curb the further spread of sika deer, the Ibaraki Prefectural Government in Japan has introduced a reward system: 📸 Provide valid sighting footage: ¥2,000 (approx. NT$400) 🦌 Legally capture one deer: ¥30,000 (approx. NT$6,000) The same animal, a part of the ecosystem in its native habitat, can become a threat to ecology and agriculture in an environment lacking its natural ecological checks and balances. This serves as another reminder: wild animals are not at fault; what truly needs consideration is how humans treat, manage, and introduce species from other regions. Image information source - Shared from the internet