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szdaily -> Kaleidoscope -> 
Plastic bags are killing deers in Nara, Japan
    2019-06-04  08:53    Shenzhen Daily

A NARA deer has died after suffering from malnutrition — and it was caused by consuming too much plastic.

In March, the Nara Deer Welfare association found a “sickly looking” deer roaming near Todaiji temple in Nara Park in Japan. Although veterinarians tried to get the deer to eat, it refused and died the next day, Sora News reported.

An autopsy March 27 revealed a large clump of hardened plastic weighing 3.2 kg in the deer’s stomach.

Rie Maruko, the veterinarian in charge of the autopsy, said: “The deer was old, and it is possible she died of old age. But she was skinny and her fur was dull. Apparently, she couldn’t take in enough nutrition because her stomach was blocked by the plastic bags.”

Deers belong to a category of animals called ruminants, meaning that food first enters their rumen — the first of four stomachs — where it is broken down. The cud then returns from the deer’s stomach to its mouth and is chewed a second time to further break down the food for digestion.

In this case, the accumulation of plastic in its first stomach prevented the deer from ingesting new food and nutrients, leading to its death, Sora News said.

The female deer weighed approximately 30 kg — 10 kg below the healthy weight range — when it was found.

According to the association, deers are only meant to be fed senbei crackers, which are sold by vendors in the park.

Deers are unable to distinguish between food and plastic, so when tourists carry plastic bags containing food, the deers’ sense of smell will lead them to believe that the bag is also edible.

The deers may also consume litter that is thrown on the ground. To tackle the littering problem, the association is also selling deer-themed eco-friendly bags at souvenir shops in Nara Park, which can hold food and litter, Sora News reported.(SD-Agencies)

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