FEATURE:Rampant Yezo deer causing farm damage,traffic accidents in Hokkaido

Rampant Yezo deer have been causing major problems in Hokkaido, with the animals eating farmers' crops and causing traffic accidents following years of unchecked population growth and a lack of local government assistance, according to experts and local community members.Protection policies for the animals, indigenous to Japan's northernmost island of Hokkaido, and a decrease in the number of deer hunters have contributed to a population explosion, having previously been in danger of extinction during the Meiji era (1868-1912).Sharp increases in the deer population during the 1990s prompted…READ FULL ARTICLE