Deer in the wild feed primarily on plants like grass. But the 1,300 deer in the central park of Nara, Japan’s ancient capital, are often fed by tourists as a popular touristy activity.
To feed these natural treasures, tourists purchase “Shika Senbei”, the approved savoury crackers that are sold in local shops, to interact with the shy deer. However, last year, some deer were found dead with their stomachs full of other food wrappers or plastic rubbish.
Besides prompting calls for tourists not to leave any rubbish behind, businessman Hidetoshi Matsukawa developed a safe and edible bag made of recycled pulp from milk cartons and rice bran, which are also the main ingredients of the deer biscuit, to minimize the chance of indigestion. Hopefully this new initiative will help Japan strike a balance between developing local tourism and safeguarding the well-being of its prized animals.
https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2020/oct/21/japan-bags-nara-deer-eat-plastic-deaths